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FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



BY THE SAME AUTHOR 



THE LAST OF THE ROYAL STUARTS 
THE MEDICI POPES 
THE NAPLES RIVIERA 



FLORENCE AND HER 
TREASURES 

BY 

HERBERT VAUGHAN, B.A., F.S.A. 



WITH NOTES ON THE PICTURES BY 

M. MANSFIELD 

AND SEVENTY-SIX ILLUSTRATIONS 



NEW YORK 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

1911 



A 



A* 




IZOsiQ 



>1 







TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Historical Sketch - - - - - - i 

General Description of Florence 23 

Churches, Conventual Buildings, etc. - - - 33 

The Uffizi Gallery - m 

The Pitti Gallery - - 177 

The Accademia delle Belle Arti 215 

Museums 236 

Palaces and Public Buildings 251 

Fiesole ' 292 

The Certosa of Val d' Ema ------ 299 

The Festivals of Florence 303 

Chronological List of Churches, Palaces, and Public 

Buildings 308 

Biographical Details of Eminent Florentines (other 

than Artists or Sculptors) 315 

Index of the Principal Painters - - - - - 330 

List of Eminent Architects and Sculptors - - 342 

Saints and their Symbols 346 

Miscellanea (Useful Information, etc.) - - - 363 

Pedigrees of the Medici Family 373 

General Index 375 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo- Frontispiece 
Photo. Alinari 

FACING PAGE 

Clement VII, by Bronzino. Uffizi Gallery - - 16. 

Photo. Brogi 
Cosimo I, by Bronzino. Pitti Gallery- io 

Photo. Alinari 

Giuliano dei Medici, by Allori. Uffizi Gallery - 16 
Photo. Brogi 

Piero dei Medici, by Mino da Fiesole. Museo Nazionale 16 
Photo. Brogi 

The Cathedral and Campanile 34 

Photo. Alinari 

The Baptistery- .-.--... .40 

Photo. Alinari 

The Brethren of the Misericordia - - - - 44 
Photo. Alinari 

Church of the SS. Annunziata - - - 46 

Photo. Alinari 
The Bigallo - - - - 46 

Photo. Alinari 

Shrine of the Virgin. Church of SS. Annunziata - 50 j/ 
Photo. Alinari 

The Annunciation, by Donatello. Church of S. Croce 50 

Photo. Alinari 



The Vision of S. Bernard, by Filippino Lippi, in the 

Badia - 

Photo. Brogi 



vii 



viii FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

FACING PAGE 

Church of S. Croce- - - 56 v 

Photo. Alinari 

Monuments to Michelangelo and Dante in S. Croce 56 
Photo. Alinari 

Piazza and Church of S. Lorenzo - - - 64 

Photo. Alinari 

Statue of Lorenzo dei Medici II, by Michelangelo, 

in New Sacristy of S. Lorenzo - - - 64 . 

Photo. Alinari 

Tomb of Giuliano dei Medici 64 

Photo. Alinari 

Monument to Giovanni and Piero di Cosimo dei Medici, 

by Verrocchio. Church of S. Lorenzo 68 

Photo. Alinari 

Marble Doorway, Palazzo Vecchio 68 

Photo. Alinari 

The Cloister, Museum of S. Marco - - - 74 

Photo. Alinari 

Corridor, with Fra Angelico's " Madonna ". Museum 

of S. Marco 74 

Photo. Alinari 

The Coronation of the Virgin by Fra Angelico. 

Museum of San Marco 74 

Photo. Alinari 
Portrait of Savonarola, from the Painting by Fra 

Bartolommeo in the Museum of San Marco - 78 

Photo. Alinari 
Piazza and Church of S. Maria Novella 84 

Photo. Alinari 
Cloister of S. Maria Novella ... - 84 

Photo. Alinari 
The Visitation /Frescoes by Ghirlandaio in\ 

The Birth of John^ the Church of S. Maria V 84 

the Baptist I Novella ... J 

Photos. Brogi 
S. MlNIATO AND S. SALVATORE AL MONTE - - 94 ' 

Photo. Alinari 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix 

FACING PAGE 

Church of S. Miniato al Monte g6, y 

Photo. Alinari 

Tabernacle of Orcagna. Church of Or San Michele ioo 
Photo. Alinari 

Church of Or San Michele, from the South East - ioo 
Photo. Alinari 

Charity, from the Fresco by Andrea del Sarto in 

the Cloister of the Scalzo 104 

Photo. Alinari 

Church of S. Spirito 106 

Photo. Alinari 

The Federighi Tomb, by Luca della Robbia. Church 

of S. Trinita -------- no 

Photo. Alinari 

Tabernacle, by Luca and Andrea della Robbia. Church 

of SS. Apostoli no 

Photo. Brogi 

Judith, by Botticelli. Uffizi Gallery - - - 124 
Photo. Brogi 

The Calumny of Apelles, by Botticelli. Uffizi 

Gallery - - - 126 

Photo. Brogi 

The Adoration of the Magi, by Botticelli. Uffizi 

Gallery 128 

Photo. Brogi 

The Holy Family, by Luca Signorelli. Uffizi Gallery 130 
Photo. Brogi 

Venus rising from the Sea, by Botticelli. Uffizi 

Gallery 138 

Photo. Hanfstaengl 

Pope Julius II, by Raphael. Uffizi Gallery . - 148 

Photo. Brogi 
The Venus of Urbino, by Titian. Uffizi Gallery - 156 

Photo. Brogi 

The Portinari Altarpiece, by Van der Goes. Uffizi 

Gallery 170 - 

Photo. Brogi 

b 






x FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

FACING PAGE 

The Concert, by Giorgione. Pitti Palace - - - 178 
Photo. Brogi 

The Granduca Madonna, by Raphael. Pitti Palace - 186 I 
Photo. Brogi 

Marine Piece, by Salvator Rosa. Pitti Palace- - 198 I 
Photo. Brogi 

Judith with the Head of Holofernes, by Cristofano 

Allori, in the Pitti Palace ----- 202 
Photo. Brogi 

Madonna and Child, by Fra Filippo Lippi. Pitti 

Palace 204 

Photo. Brogi 

The Baptism of Christ, by Andrea Verrocchio. Acca- 

demia 218 v 

Photo. Brogi 

The " Primavera," by Botticelli. Accademia - - 220 / 
Photo. Brogi 

The Nativity, by D. Ghirlandaio. Accademia - - 230 
Photo. Brogi 

The Bargello 240 v 

Photo. Alinari 

Courtyard of the Bargello 240 K 

Photo. Alinari 
St. George, from the Marble Statue by Donatello, 

in the museo nazionale 242 t 

Photo. Brogi 
Portrait of Dante, by Giotto, in the Bargello. From 

a Drawing by Seymour Kirkup - 244 l 

Photo. Alinari 
Mercury, by Giovan Bologna. Museo Nazionale - 246 , 

Photo. Alinari 
David, by Donatello. Museo Nazionale - 246 

Photo. Alinari 
Silver Altar of the Duomo. Opera del Duomo - 246 

Photo. Alinari 

Loggia dei Lanzi 252 

Photo. Alinari 






LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi 

FACING PAGE 

Perseus with the Head of Medusa, by Cellini, in 

the Loggia dei Lanzi 252 V 

Photo. Alinari 
The Uffizi and the Palazzo Vecchio - 256 

Photo. Alinari 
The Palazzo Vecchio 256 

Photo. Alinari 

The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens - 260 

Photo. Alinari 

The Procession of the Magi, from the Fresco by 
Benozzo Gozzoli, in the Chapel of the Palazzo 

RlCCARDI ------ . 266 

Photo. Brogi 
Madonna and Child with Angels, by Filippino Lippi. 

Corsini Gallery 276 

Photo. Brogi 
Palazzo Strozzi - 286 

Photo. Alinari 

Palazzo Ferroni (Spini) 286 

Photo. Alinari 

Palazzo Corsini, and the Lung' Arno Corsini - - 286 

Photo. Alinari 

The Ponte Vecchio - 288 

Photo. Alinari 
FlESOLE 292 

Photo. Alinari 



LIST OF PLANS 

The City of Florence - - - - Front End Paper 

The Environs of Florence 22 

Plan of the Uffizi Gallery no 

Plan of the Pitti Gallery 176 

Plan of the Accademia ------- 214 

Plan of the Archaeological Museum - 236 



Y* 



FLORENCE 
AND HER TREASURES 

HISTORICAL SKETCH 

FLORENTINE history may be conveniently divided 
into three distinct periods : (i) The early history of 
the city from remote classical times to the year 1266, 
which saw the Guelf cause finally triumphant; (2) the 
period of the great Florentine Republic with the rise to 
power of the burgher House of Medici, which ended 
with the unconditional capitulation of the city to Pope 
Clement VII in 1530 — a period of over two centuries 
and a half which will be undoubtedly found the most 
important and fascinating of the three; and (3) the his- 
tory of Florence as the capital of a third-rate European 
state and residence of a long line of Tuscan Grand-Dukes, 
which ceased with the ultimate absorption of Tuscany 
within the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1859. 

1. Early History. — In spite of the importance assigned 
to Florence in classical days by ViJlani and other 
mediaeval chroniclers, it has now been made clear that 
these fine traditions are purely legendary, and that Flor- 
ence, even under the Empire, was a place of small size 
and consequence. It was probably colonized originally 
from the really ancient Etruscan city of Faesulae (the 
modern Fiesole, which still looks down on the great mod- 
ern city from its rocky height to northward) by settlers 
who sought the rich, low-lying plains of the Arno for 
purposes of commerce. As a small Roman city Florentia 



2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

certainly possessed its Forum (the site of the Mercato 
Vecchio) ; its Baths or Thermae (still recalled in the name 
of the Via delle Terme) ; its Amphitheatre (traces of 
which exist in the ellipse of the Piazza Peruzzi near 
Santa Croce) ; and a large temple dedicated to Mars, 
which is popularly supposed to have occupied the site of 
the Baptistery. Indeed, the equestrian statue of Mars, 
which had once been the chief object of veneration in 
this temple, continued to be regarded with superstitious 
awe by the Florentines long after the introduction of 
Christianity. For the statue, or at least a remnant of it, 
round which many local legends clung, was set up on a 
pedestal near the Ponte Vecchio, whence it was only 
removed through the action of Nature herself during the 
terrible inundation of 1333 which flooded and partially 
destroyed the city. The early part of the fifth century 
is remarkable for the career of the first great Florentine, 
namely, the good Bishop Zenobius or Zanobi, whose name 
and virtues are still so affectionately remembered by the 
people, and whose miraculous deeds have been set forth 
with matchless art by generations of Florentine artists. 
Zenobius seems to have inhabited, in company with his 
devoted disciples Eugenius and Crescentius, a small 
building on the very site of the existing great Basilica of 
San Lorenzo. 

During the early centuries of the town's slow increase 
in size and prosperity, Florence was counted merely one 
of many communes in the realm of the Margraves of Tus- 
cany, one of whom, Hugo or Ugo the Great, is popularly 
regarded (together with his mother Willa) as the founder 
of the Badia, or first Benedictine abbey of Florence, 
about the beginning of the eleventh century. In the 
twelfth century we find Florence under the sway of the 
famous Countess Matilda of Tuscany, the great supporter 
of the papal claims of Hildebrand, Pope Gregory VII. 
During the reign of the Great Countess we learn for the 
first time of a wall encircling the city, la cerchia antica, 
to which Dante alludes in cantos xv and xvi of his 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 3 

"Paradiso". This girdle of early mediaeval walls, which 
at no point touched the banks of the Arno, was piercecl 
by four gates : Porta S. Piero to the east, Porta del Duomo 
to the north, Porta S. Pancrazio to the west, and Porta 
Santa Maria to the south, the last-named gateway being 
at a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. In other 
words, the city proper at this period only occupied the 
small area bounded to the north by the cathedral square, 
to the south by the gate of Santa Maria (which still pre- 
serves its name in the busy and crowded Via Por Santa 
Maria), to the east by the Via del Proconsulo, and to the 
west by the Via Tornabuoni. Outside this circle of forti- 
fications were, however, numerous suburbs, notably that 
of Oltr' Arno on the opposite bank of the river ; and there 
can be no reason to doubt but that during the lifetime of 
the Great Countess the little city of Florence was increas- 
ing in extent, population, wealth, and industry. To the 
eleventh and twelfth centuries belong several buildings 
of importance which are still standing as memorials of the 
city's progress during these dark and obscure ages ; notably 
the octagonal Baptistery, the Basilica of Santi Apostoli, the 
facade of San Stefano, and the beautiful church of San 
Miniato al Monte on the steep hill above the bridge of 
Rubaconte (now Ponte alle Grazie). 

The death of the Countess Matilda in 1 1 1 5 may be 
taken as the definite date for reckoning the true beginning 
of the famous Florentine Republic, for Florence was now 
forced to take part in the fierce struggle between the 
Papal and Imperial parties that heralded the factions of 
Guelf and Ghibelline within the city. Left practically 
independent of external control, the leading Florentine 
citizens, now consuls of the young community rather 
than delegates of the authority of the late Margraves of 
Tuscany, made war upon various fortresses in the neigh- 
bourhood, reducing them and compelling their violent and 
rapacious nobles to enter the city walls as peaceable 
citizens. In this way Fiesole, a perfect nest of robber 
barons, was captured in 1125 and forced into becoming 



4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

a dependency of the growing city of the plain below. 
This drafting of the outside feudal element within the 
walls tended to the increase of Florentine importance 
but certainly not to the growth of internal peace and con- 
cord. So rapidly did the town increase in population 
that about the year 1 173, some sixty years after the death 
of the Countess Matilda, it was found expedient, if not 
absolutely necessary, to build a second circle of enclosing 
walls. This second circle took in the bank of the Arno 
from the Ponte alia Carraja to a point midway between 
the Ponte Vecchio and the Rubaconte, thence turning in- 
land, it was prolonged so as to enclose the ancient Amphi- 
theatre, stopping short at the Porta San Piero Maggiore 
beyond the present Piazza Santa Croce, where the street 
formerly known as Via del Fosso (recently christened Via 
Verdi) marks the course of the walls. From this point, 
deviating sharply to the west, this new circuit was carried 
beyond the Piazza San Lorenzo so as to include that 
important basilica w T ith its memories of S. Zenobius. 
Thence by way of the present Via del Giglio and the Via 
dei Fossi (commemorative name) it ran southward to the 
Ponte alia Carraja. 

The year 12 15 is commonly taken by the Florentine 
historians as the actual date which saw the definite forma- 
tion of the historic factions of Guelf and Ghibelline, 
owing to a purely private quarrel of the Buondelmonti 
and their friends with the Uberti and other powerful 
families. But the incident of the young Buondelmonte's 
murder merely served to intensify the cleavage between 
the two already existing rival parties, one holding Im- 
perial or Ghibelline sympathies, and the other with Papal 
or Guelf tendencies. For long before the date 12 15 the 
sharp struggle had begun between the democratic or 
Guelf party, consisting chiefly of the burghers of the 
commune, and the rival aristocratic party with its many 
feudal supporters. For a time the Guelf element pre- 
vailed in the government of the city, but in 1249 the 
great Emperor Frederick II incited the Ghibelline 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 5 

nobles, headed by the Uberti, to seize the reins of govern- 
ment, a scheme which was accomplished only with the 
aid of the Imperial forces. But two years later, on the 
Emperor's death, the democratic element again rose to 
power, banished the offending Ghibelline nobles, and 
set up the Primo Popolo, the Florentine people, which 
was specially organized to resist the encroachments of 
the Podestd, the military governor, who was the practical 
representative of the Empire within the city. For ten 
years the Primo Popolo with the Capitano del Popolo at 
its head held command, but in 1260 the Ghibelline 
exiles, rallying at Siena, which was then at war with the 
Florentine Republic, inflicted a crushing defeat on their 
native city at the bloody battle of Montaperto on the 
banks of the River Arbia. After this victory of the 
Ghibellines, it was even proposed to raze Florence and 
to transport its inhabitants to the distant town ofEmpoli ; 
indeed, it was only through the angry protests of the 
truculent but patriotic Ghibelline general, Farinata degli 
Uberti, immortalized by Dante's verse, that the idea was 
at last abandoned. 

The Guelfs now fled in terror from Florence before the 
in-coming of the victorious Ghibellines, who razed the 
houses of their crushed opponents and chose for Podesta 
and vicar of King Manfred of Naples in Florence the 
stern Guido Novello, Count of Poppi. In 1264 died 
the greatest of the Ghibelline leaders, the celebrated 
Farinata degli Uberti, and in the following year was born 
the great poet Dante Alighieri. In 1266 the decisive 
battle of Benevento, which saw the complete overthrow 
of Manfred and the ultimate triumph of Pope Clement IV, 
freed Florence from the yoke of the Ghibellines, Count 
Guido evacuating the city in November, 1266, after severe 
fighting in the narrow streets. Charles of Anjou, the 
new King of Naples and Sicily, was chosen suzerain and 
protector of Florence, whilst the Uberti and other lead- 
ing Ghibelline families were violently expelled. A 
democratic government, or Signo?'ia, was again inaugu- 



6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

rated, containing amongst other features the annual 
election of twelve representatives, or Ancients, two for 
each sesto, or division of the city ; and the formation of 
a council of ioo "good men of the People," and a 
further general council of the commune with 300 mem- 
bers. At the same time an institution, known henceforth 
as the Parte Guelf a, with six captains (three nobles and 
three popolani), was erected with the openly expressed 
object of repressing the discomfited Ghibellines and of 
keeping alive Guelf traditions and principles. Thus was 
inaugurated in 1266 the second Florentine Republic, the 
Secondo Popolo, which was destined to make the state of 
Florence pre-eminent throughout Italy and even Europe. 
2. Second Period, 1266- 1530. — It was not long ere 
the victorious Guelf party, according to the immemorial 
custom of the Florentine nature, was split into the two 
contending factions of the Black Guelfs and the White 
Guelfs — Neri and Bianchi — who may again be described 
as consisting of the democratic popolani and the more 
conservative grandi or magnates, who did not wish to 
have their privileges curtailed. The years succeeding 
the establishment of the Secondo Popolo are therefore 
marked by a new party spirit that ran almost as high 
as in the past conflict of original Guelf and Ghibelline, 
so that the peace of the community was constantly dis- 
turbed by serious rioting in the streets, which were then 
largely composed of fortified mansions with tall towers, 
such as may still be seen existing in all the older quarters 
of the city. Nevertheless, this turbulent epoch of tran- 
sition gave birth to great artistic development in Florence, 
for it was the age of Cimabue and of Giotto with their 
pupils, and also of the great architect Arnolfo di Cambio. 
Towards the close of the thirteenth century were begun, 
amidst the greatest enthusiasm of the citizens, the new 
cathedral, the vast Palazzo Vecchio, the huge Franciscan 
church of Santa Croce, the Dominican church of Santa 
Maria Novella, and the new circuit of walls which were 
to extend the confines of the rapidly growing city. By 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 7 

this third and last girdle of fortifications a good deal 
more space was enclosed on the right bank of the Arno 
(the course of the walls being marked roughly by the 
broad band of the modern Viali), whilst the growing 
suburb of Oltr' Arno on the left bank was for the first 
time included in Arnolfo's plan. The fine wall and 
gates enclosing Oltr' Arno have happily been left intact 
from Porta San Niccol5 to Porta San Frediano, but the 
larger portion on the right side of the river has been 
wholly removed with the exception of the gateways, 

The actual government of the city was now largely 
vested in the Priori of the various Guilds {Arti), who 
were elected to hold office for the short space of two 
months. These Priori were chosen from the leading 
members of the Greater Guilds [Arti Maggiori), which 
consisted of the Calimala, the money changers, the wool 
merchants, the silk merchants, the physicians and apothe- 
caries, the furriers, and the judges and nobles, the 
last-named Guild possessing in addition an important 
representative known as the " Proconsul". The new 
democratic Florentine Republic was in short essentially a 
mercantile community, wherein only those who partici- 
pated largely in the commerce of the state were able to 
take an active share in its government. " The Republic 
of Florence," remarks Prof. Pasquale Villari, " was now 
a republic of merchants, and only he who was ascribed 
to the Arti could govern in it ; every grade of nobility, 
new or old, was therefore more a loss than a privilege." 
About 1300 an important officer of state, the Gonfaloniere 
of Justice, was added to the executive Signoria to hold 
office for two months as in the case of the Priori, to 
whom the Gonfaloniere was to act as a president. The 
name of this important functionary was derived from the 
go?if alone, or great banner of the Florentine people with its 
red cross on a white field, that this new officer was en- 
titled to bear in public. 

In 1289 was fought the battle of Campaldino, in which 
the Republic crushed not only the combined forces of 



8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Pisa and Arezzo, but also their tallies, the exiled ^Ghibel- 
lines still striving to regain the city they had lost. In 
1300, the famous year of Pope Boniface VIII's jubilee, 
the quarrels of the Neri and Bianchi came to a head, 
and after much fighting in the streets the White faction, 
led by the Cerchi, managed to repel their opponents 
under the command of the brave Corso Donati. In the 
following year, however, the Black faction, with the 
treacherous aid of Charles of Valois, brother of the French 
King, gained possession of the city and expelled the 
Bianchi from the civic councils, amongst these exiles 
being the poet Dante, who spent the remaining twenty 
years of his life a disconsolate wanderer throughout Italy. 
Following the usual Florentine precedent, the new domin- 
ant political faction soon split up into two rival parties 
headed respectively by Corso Donati and Rosso della 
Tosa ; the latter prevailing eventually and even slaying 
the old "Barone," Corso Donati, in a brawl outside the 
Porta alia Croce. In 13 10 Henry of Luxemburg, other- 
wise the Emperor Henry VII, descended upon Italy in 
order to attempt the reduction of the whole Ausonian 
land once more. His magnificent dream of emulating 
the feats of Frederick II, however, was rudely shattered, 
chiefly through the uncompromising hostility shown by 
the Republic of Florence, which in this case certainly 
inaugurated a patriotic policy of resistance among the free 
cities of Central Italy. In 1342 the vigorous young Re- 
public narrowly escaped falling into the power of an able 
and unscrupulous tyrant in the person of Walter de 
Brienne, Duke of Athens, a scion of the royal House of 
Naples. This ambitious prince, the last of the foreign 
governors of Florence, contrived to abolish the constitu- 
tion by force in 1342 with the help of certain dissatisfied 
and unpatriotic citizens, but his subsequent acts of tyranny 
soon aroused a general spirit of opposition which cul- 
minated in the forcible seizure of the Palazzo Vecchio on 
S. Anne's Day, 26 July, in the following year. The 
would-be tyrant narrowly escaped summary execution at 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 9 

the hands of the enraged Florentine populace, which 
eventually permitted the Duke to depart unhurt out of 
the Republic's territory. The year 1348 is signalized by 
the terrible visitation of the plague, which carried off a 
large proportion of the inhabitants, and of which the great 
Florentine poet Boccaccio has left so dramatic a descrip- 
tion in the opening pages of the " Decameron ,; . The 
later half of the fourteenth century witnessed a marvellous 
outburst of civic energy in adorning or completing the 
existing buildings of the city and in erecting new ones, 
amongst the latter being the Loggia dei Priori (now called 
dei Lanzi), the church of Or San Michele, and the pretty 
Loggia del Bigallo % The -latter part of the same century 
is also distinguished for the fierce riots due to the action 
of the Cio??ipi y or unfranchised populace of the city, who, 
led by the able and intrepid wool-comber Michele di 
Lando, were eager to obtain a fair share in the govern- 
ment ; a strongly democratic movement that was secretly 
encouraged in 1378 by a wealthy merchant named 
Salvestro, head of a newly risen but ambitious family 
known as the Medici. 

The tumult of the Ciompi would be reckoned as a 
landmark in Florentine annals, if only as serving to bring 
the historic name of Medici to the front for the first time. 
Henceforth this powerful and wealthy house, holding 
itself aloof from the other leading Florentine families, 
was ever lurking behind the discontented populace, ready 
at any favourable moment to overthrow the declining rule 
of the Ottimati or members of the ruling burgher aristo- 
cracy, in whose hands the actual government of the city 
was now practically concentrated. Meanwhile, the Floren- 
tine state kept on increasing in size and importance. 
Arezzo was annexed peaceably in 1384; Pisa was con- 
quered in 1406; Cortona was added in 1414; and in 
142 1 the Republic acquired by purchase from the Genoese 
the valuable port of Leghorn, the first Florentine outlet 
to the Mediterranean. But with the expansion of the 
state the influence of the Medici seemed to move for- 



io FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

ward concurrently, and their wealth and consequent 
power as the chief banking house in Italy made their 
name respected outside the limits of Florence itself. A 
desperate struggle for mastery between the House of 
Medici and the old burgher ruling element appeared in- 
evitable, and actually came to pass in 1433 wn ^ n a hostile 
Signoria arrested Cosimo, son of Giovanni dei Medici, 
and imprisoned him in the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio. 
Cosimo would undoubtedly have been executed by his 
political enemies, headed by Rinaldo degli Albizzi, but 
for their fear of offending Venice and certain other Italian 
states which were deeply indebted to the banking house 
of Medici. Cosimo and his family were accordingly sent 
into exile, only to return in triumph amidst popular ac- 
clamation in the following year. On 6 October, 1434, 
Cosimo, together with his younger brother Lorenzo, re- 
turned to their native city as practical victors in the 
late struggle, and this date can therefore reasonably be 
described as marking the beginning of Medicean despot- 
ism in Florence. 

The accomplished triumph in 1434 of Cosimo dei 
Medici — Cosimo il Vecchio — opens a new era in 
Florentine history, which many persons will probably 
adjudge its greatest and most attractive epoch. Nomin- 
ally and outwardly the government of the state was still 
carried on by means of the same elaborate republican 
institutions, whilst Cosimo himself, without any official 
title and drawing no civil list, lived openly at least as 
any other wealthy burgher of the city. But the real con- 
trol of the Republic, both in internal and foreign politics, 
remained absolutely in the hands of the Medicean mer- 
chant, who manipulated all the existing machinery of state 
for his own ends. This peculiar but very practical form 
of sovereignty, possessing all the power but none of the 
official pomp of monarchy, now passed from father to 
son without a break for four generations. As admitted 
rulers of the state, however, the Medici were required to 
use their vast private wealth in the entertainment of the 



HISTORICAL SKETCH n 

various illustrious guests of the Republic, notably in the 
case of the Emperor John Palaeologus and the Patriarch 
of Constantinople who came to attend the celebrated 
Council of Florence in 1439 ; and later, under Cosimo's 
grandson Lorenzo, of the dreaded Gian-Galeazzo Sforza, 
tyrant of Milan. Cosimo's period of authority, which 
practically amounted to a definite reign, is conspicuous 
for the immense impetus given to learning and all the 
liberal arts. A generous yet judicious patron, Cosimo 
encouraged Brunelleschi, Donatello, Michelozzo, Fra 
Lippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, and a host of famous Floren- 
tine architects, painters, and sculptors. He also founded 
the Platonic Academy, and his rule was marked by a 
general outburst of artistic energy and rivalry which saw 
the rebuilding of the great Basilicas of San Lorenzo and 
Santo Spirito, of the Badia Fiesolana and the Dominican 
convent of San Marco, together with a host of other im- 
portant structures in the city which were begun or adorned 
during this middle period of the Quattro -cento. 

In 1464 died Cosimo dei Medici, rejoicing in the 
proud title of Pater Patriae^ which had been conferred 
on him with good show of reason by the grateful city. 
He was succeeded, though not without some degree of 
opposition from the jealous Ottimati, by his son and heir, 
Piero, known as "II Gottoso " from his constant bad health, 
which kept him much in enforced retirement at his villa 
of Careggi, whilst his precocious but extraordinarily 
gifted son Lorenzo represented his absent parent in 
Florence. In 1469 Piero I expired, thus leaving a free 
hand to his youthful heir, Lorenzo il Magnifico, who, as 
statesman, diplomatist, ruler, poet, scholar, patron of 
art and science may perhaps be deemed the most versa- 
tile if not the greatest genius in that illustrious band 
which the prolific city of Florence produced in the days of 
the Renaissance. Entering into his difficult and onerous 
position at the early age of twenty, for nearly a quarter of 
a century Lorenzo continued to rule as the adored tyrant 
of the subservient Florentine people. In 1478, however, 



i2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

a well-contrived conspiracy, chiefly hatched by the power- 
ful Pazzi family, nearly overthrew the apparently firm 
fabric of Medicean despotism. At a memorable service 
held in the Duomo on Easter Day, the Pazzi and their 
accomplices prepared to assassinate both Lorenzo and 
his younger brother Giuliano, and even succeeded in 
slaying the latter. Lorenzo himself escaped with barely 
a scratch, and this bold attempt of the conspirators to 
stir up the citizens against the Medici proved not only 
a complete failure, but actually resulted in renewed popu- 
lar enthusiasm and expressed devotion for the enlightened 
young ruler of Florence and the members of the Medicean 
House. 

The reign of Lorenzo il Magnifico may justly be re- 
garded as the most brilliant if not the grandest period of 
Florentine history. Not only did the Florentine state rise 
to a height undreamed of hitherto in the general politics 
of Italy, forming, in fact, the power which held the delicate 
balance between Venice, Milan, Naples, and the Papacy, 
but as a centre of art, culture, 4earning, and science, 
Florence now took a leading part in all developments of 
the Renaissance, being known with justice as the Modern 
Athens, Thus, masking his underlying despotism, with a 
veil of geniality and constantly keeping his humbler sub- 
jects entertained with masques, banquets, games, and 
processions, Lorenzo I continued to be held the darling 
of the Florentine populace, however much he may have 
been disliked in secret by the members of the late mer- 
cantile oligarchy. 

In his various efforts to augment the prestige of his 
House, Lorenzo was the first Medici to marry outside the 
ranks of the burgher families, for he wedded Clarice, a 
daughter of the proud Roman feudal House of Orsini, 
by whom he became the father of four daughters and 
three sons, Piero, Giovanni, and Giuliano, whom Lorenzo 
with his usual shrewd discernment was wont to character- 
ize as being respectively pazzo (headstrong), savio (dis- 
creet), and buono (virtuous). Almost the last act of 






HISTORICAL SKETCH 13 

Lorenzo's reign was the obtaining of a Cardinal's hat for 
his second son, that discreet and highly promising lad, 
Giovanni, who thus became the first member of the rising 
House of Medici to be raised to the purple. On 
Lorenzo's decease at the premature age of forty-one, the 
government of Florence descended to his eldest son, 
Piero II, who quickly found himself beset by extreme 
difficulties both at home and abroad. In Florence itself 
a strong anti-Medicean movement had lately set in, 
largely owing to the diatribes and influence of that famous 
Dominican reformer, Fra Girolamo Savonarola, now Prior 
of San Marco, whose friendship and co-operation the 
late Lorenzo had vainly endeavoured to secure. In 
1494 the invasion of Italy by Charles VIII of France 
proved the final cause of the downfall of the incompetent 
Piero, who surrendered the frontier fortresses and made 
an ill-advised treaty with the advancing French monarch 
that was highly distasteful to the national pride of the 
Florentines. iV popular tumult in the city, already deeply 
stirred by the impassioned sermons of Savonarola, now 
terrified Piero dei Medici, who with his young brother 
Giuliano eventually abandoned Florence without striking 
a blow. A plucky attempt on the part of the Cardinal 
Giovanni to rouse the Palleschi^- or adherents of the 
Medici, likewise failed, so that before the end of Nov- 
ember, 1494, all three of Lorenzo's sons were driven into 
exile. 

A week after the flight and outlawry of the three 
Medicean princes, King Charles VIII of France with 
his vast army appeared at the San Frediano Gate, coming 
from the oppressed colony of Pisa, which had meanwhile 
taken the opportunity to revolt and assert its ancient in- 
dependence. The French King, who preferred to regard 
himself as a conqueror rather than as a guest of the city, 
was lodged in the deserted palace of the Medici in Via 
Larga, but ere long to the intense relief of the citizens he 

1 So named from the palle^ or red balls, borne on the coat-of- 
arms of the Medici. 



- 



i 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

proceeded southward to his ultimate destination, Naples. 
After danger had been averted by the departure of the 
King (whom Savonarola persisted in regarding as the 
chosen instrument of Heaven for the chastisement of 
Italy and the reform of the Church), there succeeded a 
period of spiritual dictatorship under the fiery Prior of 
San Marco, who for over three years remained almost 
supreme in the city. But external complications and 
various intrigues within the walls, and above all the 
hostility of Pope Alexander VI, who bitterly resented the 
Prior's fulminations against his own evil life and the cor- 
ruption of the papal court, led to the complete downfall 
of Savonarola whose influence was fast waning. In the 
spring of 1498 the convent of San Marco was stormed 
by the fickle and furious populace, and the great reformer 
was dragged forth, imprisoned, tried, tortured, degraded, 
and finally executed publicly, together with two of his 
most faithful friars in the Piazza della Signoria on 23 May, 
1498. The jPi'agnoni, or puritan adherents of the Prior, 
were thus swiftly driven from power, and the combined 
opposing factions of the Arrabbiati and the Co77ipagnacci 
became triumphant in the control of the restored Re- 
public. 

In spite of several attempts, open or disguised, the 
exiled Medici signally failed to regain possession of their 
lost city, and in 1502, with the object of strengthening 
the home Government against such outside dangers, the 
Republic decided to invest the Gonfaloniere Piero 
Soderini, an influential and honest but not very capable 
citizen, with powers for life somewhat akin to those 
enjoyed by a Venetian doge. Both in his home policy 
and his many foreign missions the rather feeble Soderini 
was ably assisted by the counsels of his brilliant secretary - 
of-state, Niccolo Machiavelli, whose name comes to 
the front soon after Savonarola's fall. Meanwhile, the 
Republic clung to the dangerous and unprofitable alli- 
ance with France, which had been inaugurated under 
Savonarola, whilst it was being harassed by a lingering 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 15 

war with the revolted colony of Pisa. With the rapid 
decline of the French power in Italy after the battle 
of Ravenna in 1512, the position of the now isolated 
Republic became critical. To prepare against possible 
invasion, the Government, on the advice of the energetic 
Machiavelli, strengthened its fortresses and sought to 
levy a local militia for defence ; but such efforts were 
soon proved unavailing, when in the summer of 15 12 
the Spanish army of Cardona entered Florentine territory 
with the avowed object of restoring the Medici to Florence 
as part of the policy of the warlike Pope Julius II. Rather 
than re-admit the exiled family on any terms, the Republic 
decided on open resistance ; but the capture and cruel 
sack of the little town of Prato soon brought the Floren- 
tines to a different frame of mind. With the victorious 
army at Prato were the Cardinal Giovanni dei Medici 
(the acknowledged head of his House since the death 
of Piero II in 1503), his brother Giuliano, his young 
nephew Lorenzo di Piero, and his cousin Giulio, natural 
son of the Giuliano murdered in 1478 .by the Pazzi. 
The Palleschi and their adherents quickly got the upper 
hand in the councils of the alarmed Republic, with the 
result that the Gonfaloniere Soderini resigned his position 
and fled, whilst the city prepared to welcome the in- 
coming Medici after nearly eighteen years spent in exile, 
poverty, and insignificance. On the whole, the victorious 
Cardinal treated the city with generosity and clemency, 
but his election to the papal throne as Leo X in the 
following year, 1513, served to rivet more firmly than 
ever the Medicean fetters. The young Lorenzo II, 
created Duke of Urbino in 1516, now became deputy for 
his uncle Leo X in Florence, until his premature death 
in 15 19 without heirs, save one infant daughter Catherine, 
afterwards the celebrated Queen of France. The next 
ruler in Florence was the Cardinal Giulio dei Medici, 
whose tact and leniency secured some degree of popu- 
larity, until his elevation to the papacy as Clement VII 
in 1523, two years after the death of his cousin Pope Leo 



1 6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

X. Clement now delegated the control of the city to 
Cardinal Passerini who acted as guardian to the two 
young Medicean bastards, Ippolito and Alessandro. 1 
Florence had already grown restless and weary under 
the Medicean yoke, and taking advantage of the sack of 
Rome and misfortunes of Clement in 1527, the citizens, 
with Niccolo Capponi at their head, arose and expelled 
the young Medicean princes with the full approval of the 
haughty Clarice Strozzi, niece of Leo X. 

The last days of the Republic, thus restored a second 
time to its pristine constitution, were brief but glorious. 
Filled with bitterness and revenge, Clement determined 
to retake the city at all cost, and for this purpose raised 
an army with the aid of the Emperor Charles V for the 
reduction of Florence. In spite of the noble efforts of 
Michelangelo, of Ferruccio, and other distinguished 
citizens, the siege, which was begun in October, 1529, 
ended in the capitulation of August, 1530, the year which 
saw the final extinction of the great and splendid Floren- 
tine Republic : betrayed largely through the selfish 
ambition and ignoble vengeance of her own son, the 
bastard Medici, Pope Clement VII. 

The space of forty years or so, dating from the death 
of Lorenzo il Magnifico to the fall of the Republic, is 
singularly fruitful in the history of Florentine art and 
literature. The works of Michelangelo (employed 
equally by Pope Clement and by the Florentine state), 
the choice paintings of Andrea del Sarto and of 
Albertinelli, the later pictures of Botticelli, the buildings 
of Sangallo and Sansovino are all associated with the 
closing years of the Republic. In literature, the Human- 
ists, encouraged at the brilliant court of Lcfcenzo dei 
Medici, continued to haunt Florence till such time as 
the patronage of the first Medicean Pope, Leo X, drew 
them to the Vatican, whilst the sinister genius of Niccolo 
Machiavelli hangs like a thunder-cloud over the final 

1 See pedigree I of Medici family. 





CLEMENT VII, BY BROXZIXO 
Uffizi Gallery 



COSI.MO I, BY BROXZIXO 
Pitti Gallery 



tp. 18, 1S1 





PIERO DEI MEDICI. BY MINODA FIESOLE 

Museo Nazionale 

pp,n. 248 



GIULIANO DEI MRDICI, BY ALLOR1 
Uffizi Gallery 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 17 

struggle between the Medicean princes and the leaders 
of the old Republic. 

3. Third Period, 15 30- 185 9. — In July, 1531, the 
young Alessandro dei Medici (commonly reputed a 
natural son of the late Duke Lorenzo of Urbino, but by 
many adjudged the actual son of Clement VII himself) 
entered Florence in triumph, and in the following year 
the office of Gonfaloniere and all the executive privileges 
of the historic Signoria were suppressed for ever. As 
Duke of Florence, Alessandro now began his brief and 
violent reign. Although dissolute and cruel, this young 
tyrant was not without natural abilities, so that there 
seemed little chance of his yoke being flung aside by the 
oppressed Florentines. His reign, however, was cut 
short in January, 1537, by his horrible murder in the 
Palazzo Medici at the hands of his distant kinsman 
Lorenzino, who was for this deed extolled by many as 
a liberator of his country. Alessandro left no legitimate 
offspring by his wife, Margaret of Austria, natural daughter 
of the Emperor Charles V ; and the dukedom of Florence 
consequently now devolved on the youthful Cosimo dei 
Medici, son of Giovanni " of the Black Bands," and the 
leading member of the junior branch of the Medicean 
House, which derived from Lorenzo, younger brother of 
Cosimo il Vecchio. Cosimo, who may perhaps be styled 
the last of the great Florentines, was cautious, firm, in- 
dustrious, and calculating beyond his years, so that, con- 
trary to general expectation, he soon showed himself a 
capable and relentless ruler of the state. All opposition 
was ruthlessly crushed, notably after the battle of Monte- 
murlo, and amongst those who felt the iron hand of this 
able prince was the intriguing Filippo Strozzi, who died 
in the new prison of the Citadel, or Fortezza da Basso, 
in 1538. Under Cosimo I, " the Great " as he has been 
styled with good- cause, the Tuscan state was finally con- 
solidated. As holder of the lordship of Siena, granted 
by Charles V, and as conqueror of Pisa, Cosimo at last 
became supreme throughout Tuscany, over which he was 



1 8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

granted the hereditary title of Grand-Duke by Pope 
Pius V in 1569. Cosimo laid the foundations of the 
prosperity of the port of Leghorn ; he encouraged learn- 
ing by reopening the neglected University of Pisa, and 
he was throughout his long and prosperous reign an 
enthusiastic patron of the fine arts. Anxious to con- 
centrate all the offices of state under one roof, he had the 
splendid public palace of the Uffizi constructed, and a 
gallery built to connect this official palace with the new 
Grand-Ducal residence at the Palazzo Pitti, whither 
Cosimo had finally moved the seat of his court. In- 
numerable commissions were given to Vasari, Cellini, 
Bandinelli, Ammannati, Tribolo, Bronzino, and other 
artists, architects, and decorators of the later Renaissance. 
To Cosimo also is due the initiative in building a Tuscan 
fleet to keep the coast clear of Barbary pirates, and it 
was he who founded the Tuscan Order of chivalry known 
as the Knights of San Stefano, with their head-quarters 
fixed at Pisa. Cosimo married Eleonora of Toledo, by 
whom he had a numerous family, two of his sons suc- 
ceeding him on the throne of Tuscany. Many crimes 
and tragedies have been attributed by historians and 
gossips to Cosimo and his children, but in the light of 
- modern research it would seem that the Grand-Ducal 
family of Medici was not on the whole more violent, more 
criminal, or more treacherous in its private life than any 
other reigning European house of the period. 

Cosimo I, whose familiar features are displayed in 
many pictures, busts, and statues throughout Florence, 
died in 1575, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving 
son Francesco I, who had married the Princess Joanna 
of Austria. Like his father, a judicious patron of the 
arts, Francesco, in spite of many moral failings, deserves 
the gratitude of posterity for his founding of the art of 
pietra dura, or the inlaying of precious stones and 
marbles, which is still a flourishing Florentine industry. 
He undoubtedly forfeited the trust and approval of his 
subjects by his unpopular and injudicious marriage with 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 19 

the beautiful Venetian adventuress, Bianca Capello, whom, 
after being for some years his mistress, he espoused on 
the death of the Grand-Duchess Joanna in 1578. The 
Grand-Ducal pair now spent much of their time away 
from Florence absorbed in sport and amusement, and 
great was the public rejoicing when first Francesco, and 
then Bianca, expired suddenly in October, 1587, at the 
villa of Poggio a Cajano. The Cardinal Ferdinando dei 
Medici, Francesco's younger brother, now ascended the 
Tuscan throne under the title of Ferdinando I, since 
Francesco had left no heirs male, though his daughter 
Maria later became the bride of Henry IV of Navarre, 
King of France. Resuming the secular life, Ferdinando 
married Christina of Lorraine and became the father 
of nine children. Like his father and brother before him, 
an eager patron of the arts, he was the employer of 
Giovanni da Bologna and of Tacca, and also began the 
erection of the great Medicean Mausoleum at San 
Lorenzo where his statue in bronze gilt is still a con- 
spicuous object. Ferdinando, who was an able ruler, 
died in 1608, leaving as his heir Cosimo II, a liberal and 
enlightened prince, who did much for the moral and 
material progress of his country. He was particularly 
lavish of his favours to the growing port of Leghorn ; he 
was the friend and protector of the great Galileo ; and 
sheltered that strange English exile, Sir Robert Dudley, 
created Duke of Northumberland by the Emperor. By 
his wife Maria-Maddalena, daughter of the Arch- Duke 
Charles of Austria, Cosimo left a numerous family, of 
whom the eldest son, Ferdinando II, was but ten years 
of age at his father's death in 1620. Tuscany now had 
the misfortune to fall under the regency of two well- 
meaning but incapable and bigoted women ; namely, the 
Grand-Duchesses Maria-Maddalena and Christina, the 
young ruler's mother and grandmother, who bestowed 
money and privileges in endless profusion on the Church, 
and especially on the various monastic bodies that were 
now thronging Tuscany. The young Grand-Duke showed 



2o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

great bravery during the epidemic of the plague>in 163 1, 
the year after his assuming the reins of power. Like 
all his race Ferdinando II was a devoted supporter of 
science and the arts, though not to such an extent as his 
younger brother, the Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici, who 
was a generous contributor to the world-famous collection 
of the Uffizi. Ferdinando married Vittoria Delia Rovere, 
of Urbino, heiress of her family, by whom he was the 
father of the Grand-Duke Cosimo III, who succeeded to 
the throne in 1670. 

This prince, who in his youth travelled over Europe, 
visiting and writing an account of England, proved inferior 
in ability to his predecessors, being of a gloomy and 
bigoted cast of mind. Under his well-intentioned but 
ill-judged measures, the country grew impoverished and 
the people discontented. His marriage with Marguerite- 
Louise, daughter of Gaston, Duke of Orleans, proved 
unhappy, the wife refusing to live in Tuscany and pre- 
ferring a French convent to the Pitti Palace. The Grand- 
Duchess Dowager, Vittoria Delia Rovere, continued the 
real ruler of Tuscany, much to the disadvantage of the 
country, and Cosimo himself was a mere tool in her re- 
actionary and extravagant policy. This long and inglorious 
reign ended in 1723 under circumstances of great sadness, 
for it had become evident that the historic dynasty of 
Medici was now approaching extinction, for none of 
Cosimo's three children were possessed of heirs, and the 
great European Powers were in consequence busied with 
political schemes for the transfer of the Grand-Duchy to 
some foreign line, which was finally settled to be the 
House of Lorraine. Cosimo's elder son, Ferdinando, 
had already died without issue in 17 13; his daughter 
Anna, Electress Palatine, was a childless widow; and 
his second and now only surviving son Gian-Gastone, 
who had married the Princess Anna-Maria-Francesca of 
Saxe-Launemberg, was without an heir and also separated 
from his wife. In 1723 Gian-Gastone, a dissolute but 
mild and cultured prince, entered upon the empty glories 



HISTORICAL SKETCH 21 

of his ancestors, living at Florence, together with his 
more ambitious yet quite incapable sister, the Electress 
Palatine, but taking little or no interest in the rule or 
future of his Grand- Duchy, whose destiny had already 
been determined by the great Powers of Europe. * He 
died, the last male of his famous House, in 1737, whilst 
his sister, the widowed Electress, survived till 1743, when 
the Grand- Ducal House of Medici became extinct. 

On the death of the childless Gian-Gastone in 1737 
the terms of the Treaty of Vienna were carried into effect, 
Prince Francis ofLorraine being proclaimed as the Grand- 
Duke Francesco II of Tuscany. The new Grand-Duke, 
together with his wife Maria-Theresa, daughter and 
heiress of the Emperor Charles VI, entered the city in 
January, 1739, beneath a triumphal arch still standing at 
Porta San Gallo ; but on his wife's succession to the 
Imperial dignity of her father, Francis resigned the throne 
of Tuscany in favour of his second son, Pietro-Leopoldo 
I, who with his consort Maria-Louisa of Spain came to 
reside in Florence. An accurate and amusing picture of 
the social life of Florence and the Grand-Ducal court 
throughout the eighteenth century has been left for us 
in the published letters of Sir Horace Mann, who was 
British Minister in Tuscany for over forty years, during 
which period, besides his political despatches, he kept up 
a constant private correspondence with Horace Walpole 
in England. Pietro-Leopoldo proved himself the most 
able and high-minded of sovereigns, his reign being 
marked by a series of enlightened reforms and measures, 
which brought an extraordinary degree of prosperity to his 
subjects. This popular ruler was, unhappily for Tuscany, 
recalled to Vienna in 1790 to succeed his brother, the 
Emperor Joseph II. The new Emperor's third son, 
Ferdinando III, now became Grand-Duke, but with the 
French invasion of Italy, the Grand-Ducal family was 
forced to fly from Florence in 1799, an< ^ under the terms 
of the Treaty of Luneville in 1801 Tuscany was converted 
into the Kingdom of Etruria under Prince Louis de 



22 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Bourbon, who died in 1803, leaving an infant son Charles- 
Louis, and his widow Queen Maria-Louisa as Regent. 
By the subsequent Treaty of Fontainebleau, Tuscany was 
declared part of the vast French Empire under the 
names of the Departments of the Arno, the Ombrone, 
and the Mediterranean, and placed under the regency of 
Elise Bonaparte, sister of the great Emperor Napoleon. 
With the downfall of Napoleon in 1814, Ferdinando 
amidst universal rejoicings returned to Florence and 
reigned without further disturbance till his death in 1824. 
His successor, Leopoldo II, the last Grand-Duke of Tus- 
cany, found himself involved in the troubles of the rising 
storm of revolution in Italy. In spite of the general 
prosperity of the country and the granting of new consti- 
tutions on liberal lines to his subjects, the Grand- Duke 
was expelled in 1849, on ^y t0 return, however, a little later 
to his capital. In 1859 Leopoldo II, refusing to join 
with Victor- Emmanuel of Savoy in an expedition against 
the Austrian forces in Italy, decided to abdicate and 
abandon his capital, a determination which he carried out 
on 27 April, 1859. The troops of the new United Italy 
now entered Florence peaceably with Victor-Emmanuel 
at their head, and as the result of a plebiscite Florence 
and Tuscany were absorbed in the growing Kingdom of 
Italy. Thus ended the existence of the Grand- Duchy of 
Tuscany, founded by Cosimo dei Medici in 1569 and 
annexed in 1859, after a lapse of nearly three centuries. 
In 1865 Florence was declared the capital of United 
Italy and the residence and court of the reigning House 
of Savoy. A number of suburbs were now built, and the 
fine old walls of Arnolfo were levelled to the ground by 
way of improving the city in size and appearance. The 
honour of being the capital of Italy was, however, of brief 
duration, for after the seizure of Rome in 1870, that city 
was declared metropolis, and Florence, no longer the 
seat of a court or a legislature, has sunk into the position 
of a mere provincial town, 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FLORENCE 

FLORENCE — Fiorenza la Bella, la bellissima efamo- 
sissima figlia di Roma — now the chief town of the 
province of the same name in the modern Kingdom of 
Italy, the see of an archbishop and the head-quarters of 
the Sixth Italian Army Corps, has a population of about 
250,000. Its many handsome and historic buildings, its 
extraordinary wealth of artistic treasures, and its lovely 
natural setting in a fertile valley amidst the Apennines 
combine to make Florence one of the most beautiful and 
interesting places in the world. The city, until recent 
times confined within its ring of mediaeval walls, has now 
spread in every direction, so that Florence is at present 
surrounded by numerous suburbs that continue to grow on 
the low-lying plain ; whilst the slopes of the neighbouring 
hills are thickly studded with farms and villas set amidst 
fruitful orchards and gardens. To the north of the town 
rises the great mass of Monte Morello, some 3000 feet 
in height, with its triple peak ; to the north-east stretches 
the long rocky ridge of Fiesole with its ancient cathedral 
city perched conspicuously on its crest and with the castle 
and woods of Vincigliata beyond ; to the east in the far 
distance may be observed the ranges of the Vallombrosan 
Mountains. In the west appear the Pistoiese Apennines, 
and beyond them the sharp outlines of the Carrara 
Mountains. To the south lies the long ridge of San 
Miniato, barring the view southwards, and covered chiefly 
with gardens and villas, and with the church of San 
Miniato and the Fortezza di San Giorgio prominently dis- 
played ; to the south-west rise the slopes of Bellosguardo 

23 



24 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

crowned with large villas and the olive-clad hill of Monte 
Oliveto with its picturesque old convent. The former 
limits of the city are marked by the course of the Viali, 
a broad band of tree-planted boulevards, on the right 
side of the Arno, following the lines of the ancient walls 
which were demolished in 1875, but of which some 
towers and gateways are still left standing. In the Viale 
Principe Amadeo to the east rises the small disused Pro- 
testant cemetery, which contains the tombs of many 
distinguished British residents of former generations, 
including those of Walter Savage Landor and of Mrs. 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who died in a house in the 
Via Maggio in 1858. The quarter of the city on the 
left bank of the river, commonly called Oltr' Arno, retains 
its mediaeval walls and gateways intact, so that the gates 
of San Niccolo, San Giorgio, the Porta Romana and the 
Porta San Frediano are still prominent ornaments of this 
part of Florence. Above Oltr' Arno winds the steep 
but beautiful drive known as the Viale dei Colli, which 
affords exquisite views of the great city lying below. The 
Arno, a small but rapid mountain stream, swollen in wet 
weather and a mere succession of pools in the height of 
summer, divides Florence into two unequal portions. It 
is spanned by four ancient bridges : the Ponte alle Grazie, 
the picturesque Ponte Vecchio with its shops and houses, 
the Ponte Santa Trinita, and the Ponte alia Carraja. A 
leading feature of Florence is the succession of quays, 
mostly of recent construction, known as the Lung Arno, 
which under various names line either side of the river. 
The Lung' Arno on the right bank stretches without in- 
terruption from the Iron Bridge opposite the hill of San 
Miniato to the entrance of the Cascine, a distance of about 
two English miles, and affords a pleasant sunny drive or 
walk. The Lung' Arno on the Oltr' Arno side is, however, 
broken from a point above the Ponte Vecchio as far as 
the Ponte Santa Trinita by a line of picturesque mediaeval 
houses hanging above the river itself, and forming a 
favourite subject for the artist. At the most westerly 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FLORENCE 25 

point of the Lung' Arno on the right side of the river 
begins the park of the Caserne, a long, narrow strip of 
lawn and woodland following the course of the river. 

From every point of view the city offers a most impos- 
ing appearance with its many public buildings and towers. 
Conspicuous above all are the huge dome of the Cathedral, 
the smaller cupola of the Medici Tombs, the great Cam- 
panile of Giotto, the towers of the Palazzo Vecchio, 
Santa Croce, the Badia, Santo Spirito, Santa Maria 
Novella, and the Bargello. Considered as a modern, 
thriving city, it seems remarkable that Florence should 
have still preserved so much of its old-world aspect at 
the present day, in strong contrast with Rome, which 
has been wholly changed within the last forty years. 
Comparatively few Florentine landmarks have been swept 
away ; on the contrary, numerous houses have been lately 
distinguished by tablets to commemorate the various 
historical personages and associations connected with 
them. Towards the close of the last century, however, 
certain changes have occurred, notably in the demolition 
of the walls and of the historic Mercato Vecchio, /' antico 
centro della citta, which has been replaced by the modern 
Piazza Vittorio-Emmanuele and some adjoining new 
streets. With the exception of this new central quarter, 
the demolition of the walls, and the construction of the 
quays of the Lung' Arno, the older portions of the city 
retain their original aspect in a remarkable degree. On 
all sides, therefore, the stranger in Florence will find 
ancient churches, mediaeval mansions and towers, Renais- 
sance palaces, and other monuments of the historic past 
of the great city. The newer residential quarters of 
Florence lie for the most part either outside or around 
the broad circle of the Viali, and consist chiefly of -broad, 
straight streets of a commonplace type. To the north 
lies the spacious Piazza dell' Indipendenza, and to the 
west the Piazza d'Azeglio, both surrounded by fine 
modern houses, and the latter containing a shady garden. 
The Piazza Vittorio-Emmanuele is a busy centre of civic 



26 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

life, and its arcades and cafes are crowded at all hours ; 
but the neighbouring Piazza del Duomo is now perhaps 
the most central place in the modern life of the city, 
since it contains the starting-point of most of the electric 
tram-lines, which penetrate hence into every part of the 
town and the suburbs, and it is also the terminus of the 
line running to Fiesole. The straight busy Via Calzaioli 
connects the Piazza del Duomo with that of the Signoria, 
which is seldom crowded except on a Friday, when its 
whole area is thronged with Tuscan farmers and contadini^ 
come hither to attend the weekly market held in Florence. 
The noisy Via Cerretani leads westward from the Piazza 
del Duomo towards the church and square of Santa Maria 
Novella and the railway station. To the north, the broad 
Via Cavour proceeds by way of San Marco to the Porta 
San Gallo. In this most central piazza before the cathedral 
the visitor will find himself within a quarter of an hour's 
walk of almost all the principal sights of Florence, many 
of them (such as San Lorenzo, the Piazza della Signoria, 
and the Church of S. M. Novella) being little more than 
five minutes distance away. The Piazza of S. M. Novella 
is connected with the Lung' Arno by the Via dei Fossi, 
and that of Santa Croce by the broad Via dei Benci. 
Other important streets are the Via Tornabuoni, running 
north from the Ponte Santa Trinita and containing the 
chief restaurants, banks, clubs, and shops ; the Via Strozzi 
and the adjoining Via dei Vecchietti, in the latter of 
which is situated Vieusseux's famous lending library with 
its great reading-room ; the Borgo Ognissanti with hotels 
and shops, which runs westward from the Ponte alia 
Carraja towards the Casein^ ; and the dark, crowded Via 
Guicciardini which leads from the Ponte Vecchio to the 
Piazza Pitti. 

On all sides will be observed numerous churches, 
public buildings, and private palaces, the splendid result 
of the artistic enterprise of Florentine citizens in the past, 
and of the marvellous skill of the Florentine architects of 
the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Of public build- 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FLORENCE 27 

ings it is sufficient here to mention the great Palazzo 
Vecchio, or Hotel de Ville of Florence ; the Palace of the 
Podesta (now called the Bargello) ; the arcades or logge 
of the Uffizi, the Lanzi, the Bigallo, and the Mercato 
Nuovo. Of the innumerable private palaces those of the 
Pitti, the Medici, the Strozzi, and the Spini-Ferroni are 
the most remarkable for size and grandeur. Of churches, 
the Duomo with its vast cupola, the Campanile of Giotto, 
the octagonal Baptistery, the huge conventual piles of 
S. M. Novella and Santa Croce, the Basilicas of San 
Lorenzo and Santo Spirito, and the Badia with its grace- 
ful tower are the most conspicuous. In addition to its 
architectural treasures, Florence contains also three large 
and important picture galleries — the Grand- Ducal (now 
Royal) collection at the Pitti Palace ; the vast Galleria 
degli Uffizi (which possesses besides many hundreds of 
pictures some fine antique statuary and immense quan- 
tities of cartoons and engravings) ; and the Accademia 
delle Belle Arti, with its many splendid examples of the 
works of early Tuscan masters. The Convent of San 
Marco forms a veritable museum of the lovely frescoes 
of Fra Angelico ; whilst the principal churches are filled 
with innumerable specimens of painting and sculpture of 
the many Florentine artists of the Middle Ages and the 
Renaissance. Of the four great Public Libraries, the 
Libreria Laurenziana^ in the fine building adjoining San 
Lorenzo, is the most important owing to its number of 
priceless manuscripts. The National Museum, contained 
in the Bargello, affords an inexhaustible study of the 
artistic productions of the past ; and the Museo Archeo- 
logico in the Via della Colonna possesses a most im- 
portant collection of Etruscan antiquities. It has been 
said, and with perfect truth, that no city in the world 
possesses such wealth of artistic treasure compassed 
within so small a space as does Florence. 

The chief public park and drive of Florence is the 
Cascine, so called from the Grand- Ducal dairies (caserne) 
formerly situated here. The entrance is near the western 



28 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

end of the Lung* Arno. Parts of the Cascine are well 
wooded, and the views looking northwards towards Monte 
Morello are most beautiful. There is a good race-course, 
where flat racing takes place in the spring months, and 
(near the entrance) is a court for the curious and popular 
Tuscan game of Pallo7ie, which is played here by pro- 
fessionals on evenings in May and June. The game 
(which somewhat resembles the pelota of the Basque pro- 
vinces) is most interesting to watch. Seats at the side of 
the open court vary in price from i fr. to very small sums. 
The farthest point of the Cascine, which is over two 
miles long, is known locally as the " Indiano," from the 
coloured memorial bust of an Indian Maharajah of 
Kolapore, who, dying in Florence in 1870, gave orders 
for his ashes to be cast into the Arno at this spot. 
Towards sunset all the fashionable world of Florence 
drives, rides, motors, or lounges in the Cascine, which 
presents a very animated spectacle at this time of day. 

Other public gardens are the Boboli, or gardens sur- 
rounding the Pitti Palace, which are thrown open on 
Thursday and Sunday afternoons ; the " Bobolino," a 
charmingly laid out pleasure-ground on the slopes out- 
side the Porta Romana ; and the new-made garden of 
the Fortezza da Basso, or former citadel, near the Lungo 
Mugnone, to the extreme north of the town. Pleasant 
walks and exquisite views are to be obtained on the 
shady road known as the Viale dei Colli, below San 
Miniato. 

In walking through the older portions of the city — 
particularly in the districts lying between the Lung' Arno 
Acciajoli and the Duomo, or in Oltr' Arno — the stranger 
will find many good examples of ancient domestic Floren- 
tine architecture. The Borgo Santi Apostoli, the Borgo 
San Jacopo, the Via dei Bardi, the Via Lambertesca (to 
mention only a few instances), all present an appearance 
that is still in the main mediaeval. -Everywhere interesting 
specimens of architecture or ornament meet the eye, not- 
ably in the innumerable coats-of-arms, which form so con- 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FLORENCE 29 

spicuous a feature of all the older buildings of Florence, 
where the streets exhibit an endless variety of the escutch- 
eons of the great Florentine families both of Republican 
and Grand- Ducal times, as well as the heraldic emblems 
of the city and the various guilds. Many of the shrines 
at the street-corners are also worthy of attention, for, like 
the heraldic shields, some of those still remaining in situ 
were the work of great Florentine artists. And apart 
from their almost endless historical and artistic sources 
of interest, the streets of Florence offer unique attraction 
to*the visitor in their picturesque and changing scenes of 
the life of the people. The contadini with their huge 
green umbrellas ; the swarthy carters with their carts 
piled high with straw- encased fiaschi and with their patient 
horses or mules covered with jingling brazen harness and 
gaudy crimson trappings ; the many priests and nuns ; 
the Capuchin friars in their ginger-hued gowns ; the 
black-robed and hooded brethren of the historic Con- 
fraternity of the Misericordia that has attended the dead 
and the dying for so many centuries in Florence ; the 
handsome cavalry troopers; the diminutive but sturdy 
little soldiers of the Italian infantry ; the crowds of poly- 
glot and queerly clad tourists ; the peasants leading their 
long-horned, dove-coloured oxen ; the bawling flower- 
sellers with baskets full of roses or carnations — all com- 
bine to make of the Florentine streets a perpetual moving 
picture, which ought to entrance the artist with its rich 
colouring and constant variety. In the more secluded 
streets are still to be seen the old-fashioned shops with 
open fronts, and with the owners and their apprentices 
working unconcernedly at their tasks. The old occupa- 
tions of wool-combing, inlaying of woods, fashioning of 
sweet-scented cypress-wood chests, the preparation of 
the fragrant orris root are interesting sights that may often 
be observed in the quieter and less-frequented lanes. 
The fruit and vegetable shops are especially attractive, 
not only from their tasteful arrangement with regard to 
form and colour, but also from the unfamiliar objects 



3 o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

often to be seen in them. In winter, for example, the 
handsome Diosperi, a species of persimmon, in shape and 
hue closely resembling a tomato, are everywhere displayed, 
amid masses of grapes, apples, and herbs. The various 
local dainties that are popular with the Florentines can 
often be seen for sale in the streets, including cakes 
made of chestnut flour, and hot batter puddings sizzling in 
melted butter, the latter a popular dish on a frosty morn- 
ing. In winter also many a wild boar may be observed 
hanging from the butchers' shop-doors, and a visit to the 
large new Central Market beyond San Lorenzo will 
certainly prove interesting to such as are curious on the 
subject of Italian diet. In any case, a stroll through the 
old streets of Florence can never fail to bring interesting 
experiences to those who care to study them in the proper 
spirit of appreciation. 

Quantities of shops exist everywhere with the sole ob- 
ject of attracting the custom of the foreign visitor, and 
consequently the artistic shops with their photographs, 
coloured reproductions of the pictures in the galleries, 
and illuminated vellum work will be found very engaging. 
Carved and gilded picture frames of elaborate design also 
constitute a speciality of the place, and are generally to 
be found in conjunction with supplies of majolica and 
other local glazed pottery, made usually according to Re- 
naissance designs. Terra- cotta, glazed and unglazed, is 
also common. Florentine pietra dura work (the art of 
inlaying coloured marbles and precious stori§i r in pictorial 
designs) is also largely exposed for sale, and this historic 
industry is still capable of turning out some very fine 
specimens. The principal streets for this class of artistic 
shop (which is almost peculiar to Florence and abounds 
in every corner of the city that the casual stranger is ever 
likely to penetrate) are the Lung' Arno Acciajoli, the 
Via Tornabuoni, the Piazza Pitti, and the Via Strozzi. 
The best photographs are to be obtained at the fine es- 
tablishments of Messrs. Brogi in the Via Tornabuoni and 
of Messrs. Alinari in Via Strozzi. Shops crammed with 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FLORENCE 31 

antiques, real or sham, also abound, notably in the Via 
Maggio and the Via dei Fossi. According to immemorial 
custom the little shops on the Ponte Vecchio are occu- 
pied by the Florentine jewellers, whose chief productions 
are ornaments composed of pearls, turquoises, amethysts, 
and the less expensive stones, many of their pieces of 
jewellery exhibiting very graceful patterns. 

One great attraction of Florence is the circumstance 
that a walk into the country can be always undertaken 
without much fatigue or loss of time. By making use of 
the various electric tram-lines, the suburbs can be quickly 
passed, and the visitor can soon reach a convenient point 
for exploring the surrounding country, which is singularly 
fertile and beautiful. 1 The hill-sides below Fiesole offer 
many ^ pleasant rambles, and no one should miss the 
lovely views to be gained by ascending the slopes around 
and beyond the Church of San Miniato. A walk in the 
Boboli Gardens should also be undertaken, although for 
some mysterious reason these beautiful gardens are only 
open to the public on Thursday and Sunday afternoons. 
On no account should the expedition to Fiesole be omit- 
ted, and if possible the Certosa in the Val d'Ema should 
also be visited. Careggi, with a large villa wherein the 
great Lorenzo dei Medici expired in 1492, is a charm- 
ing spot about three miles to the north-west of Florence, 
though the road thither lies chiefly between streets and 
stone walls. A" drive or walk up the steep hill of 
Bellosguardo is also advised for the sake of the views. If 
time permit, an expedition to the little walled city of 
Prato, only thirty minutes distant from Florence by a 
fast train, is recommended. Its fine cathedral of black 
and white marble contains some interesting works of art 
by Fra Lippo Lippi and Donatello, and the town itself 
presents a good example of the smaller Italian mediaeval 
city. 

1 For this purpose see the admirable little book by Mr. E. Hutton, 
" Country Walks about Florence," already mentioned in the Biblio- 
graphy attached to this work. 



32 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The Climate of Florence is somewhat trying and 
treacherous, as it varies from extreme cold in winter to 
torrid heat in the summer months, during which latter 
time rain seldom falls, and the Arno shrinks into a series 
of pools. During July, August, and September the city 
is practically deserted by all who can afford to move 
away to the sea-coast or the hills. In the winter months 
" the climate is diversified by spells of rain with a mild 
damp wind called Scirocco from the south, and by bitter 
cold with a clear sky and a tearing north wind known as 
Tramontanes, since it blows across the snowy Apennines. 
Snow, however, rarely falls in the city itself, although the 
surrounding hills are frequently covered with it. March 
is sometimes, and April is usually, warm and genial ; 
May is often wet and warm, ending in an outburst of 
sudden heat. Perhaps on the whole the months of 
October and November are the most pleasant in the 
Florentine year. In spring and winter a sunless north 
room should be avoided by the visitor, who in any case 
should be prepared beforehand to encounter heat or 
cold, sunshine or heavy rain, during his projected stay in 
Florence, with its variable and capricious climate. In the 
spring months visitors should be careful to enter the 
churches and galleries warmly dressed, as their interiors 
are usually bitterly cold, and liable to cause severe chills. 



CHURCHES, CONVENTUAL BUILDINGS, ETC. 

I L DUO MO, the Cathedral, or Santa Maria del Fiore (so- 
called from the giglio in the civic coat-of-arms), ranks 
as the fourth largest church in Europe, being surpassed in 
size only by St. Peter's in Rome and the Cathedrals of Seville 
and Milan. It is 556 ft. in length, 342 ft. across the transepts, 
and the height from the ground to the top of the lantern above 
the dome is 352 ft. The vast red-roofed building is entirely 
covered with variegated marbles — red from the Maremma, 
black or dark green from Prato, and white from Carrara — 
and the effect, though somewhat singular to northern eyes, 
is gay and pleasing in the extreme. (The best view of the 
whole bulk of the cathedral is to be obtained from the south- 
east corner of the Piazza del Duomo at the angle of the Via 
del Proconsolo.) It was erected on the site of the ancient 
Church of Santa Reparata between the years 1 294 and 1456, its 
original architect being the celebrated Arnolfo di Cambio, 
until his death in 1300. In 1334 the work was continued by 
Giotto, who was succeeded in his turn by Andrea Pisano in 
1336. The original plan of Arnolfo having been substituted 
for one on a grander scale, the work of supervision was in 
1357 entrusted to Francesco Talenti. In 1366 a committee 
of twenty-four architects decided upon the form of the pro- 
jected choir and dome. In August, 141 8, the Opera del 
Duomo, or Cathedral Board of Works, demanded the services 
of an architect able to carry out the proposed scheme of the 
great central dome, and after the expression of much hostility 
and ridicule Filippo Brunelleschi was selected out of a host 
of competitors. Brunelleschi completed his dome in the 
space of fourteen years (1420- 1434), and in 1435 the huge 
church was consecrated with great pomp by Pope Eugenius 
IV. The lantern, surmounted by the ball and cross, was 

3 33 



34 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

not finished till 1456. Brunelleschi also designed the elabo- 
rate terrace of white marble round the drum of his octagonal 
dome, but only one section (that facing the Via Proconsolo) 
was ever completed, so that after more than six centuries the 
great Duomo of Florence must still be described as unfinished 
externally. Considerable speculation exists as to the ancient 
appearance of the fagade, but whatsoever decoration existed 
was certainly removed in the year 1 587, on pretext of erecting 
a new front worthy of the church. The project of a new 
fagade was frequently mooted, but was only undertaken in 
earnest so late as 1858 under Leopold II, last Grand-Duke 
of Tuscany, with the approval of Pope Pius IX. The idea 
was happily encouraged under King Victor-Emmanuel II, 
with the result that in 1868 the design of Signor Emilio De 
Fabris was chosen out of numerous competing designs. The 
completed fagade was unveiled by King Umberto and Queen 
Margherita amidst great rejoicing on 12 May, 1887, four 
years after the death of its architect. 

This modern fagade, one of the most important artistic 
works of recent years in Italy, harmonizes admirably with 
the older portions of the building. According to De Fabris' 
first plan, it was to have possessed in addition three tall 
gables (as may be observed in the cathedrals of Siena and 
Orvieto) ; but the popular taste of Florence insisted on the 
present arrangement, which is undoubtedly more suitable, 
although the architect was loth to abandon his original and 
more ornate design. The effect of this fagade, especially 
when viewed by electric light after dusk, is magnificent in 
the extreme, with its bright mosaics, its coloured marbles, its 
masses of white statuary, its huge richly decorated wheel- 
window, and its innumerable coats-of-arms, which afford a 
perfect study in contemporary Florentine heraldry. Amongst 
these latter may be noticed the shields of the Royal House 
of Savoy, of the late reigning Grand-Ducal House of Tuscany, 
and of Pope Pius IX, above the main portal. Its three door- 
ways are rilled with ornate bronze doors, of which the central 
pair, by Passaglia, were opened in state by King Victor- 
Emmanuel III and Queen Elena in May, 1903, the old 
carved wooden doors being removed and placed in Santa 
Croce. 

In addition to those of the fagade, the cathedral owns four 



•;,- 



I ' A ■ '- 




THE CATHEDRAL AND CAMPANILE 



PP- 33* 3S 



^ 



THE CATHEDRAL 35 

entrances, two on the south side and two on the north side. 
Of these, that on the south near the Campanile (usually 
closed) is surmounted by a Virgin and Child, attributed to 
Niccolo Aretino. The next door on the south side, the 
Porta dei Canonici, opposite the residences of the canons, is 
more elaborate ; but it is far inferior to the north-east door, 
called sometimes the Porta delta Mandorla, on account of 
the almond-shaped bas-relief of the Virgin presenting her 
girdle {cintola) to S. Thomas, a beautiful work, attributed by 
Vasari to Jacopo della Quercia, but nowadays commonly 
assigned to Nanni di Antonio di Banco (1413-20). The 
portal itself is a fine specimen of the work of Niccolo Aretino, 
who gained thereby the nickname of " Della Porta ". The 
fourth, or north-west doorway, has twisted marble columns 
resting on crouching lions. 

The interior, though bare and rendered dingy by the drab 
colouring on walls and pillars, is singularly imposing. " In 
S. Peter's man thinks, but in Santa Maria del Fiore man 
prays," was the shrewd comment of Pope Pius IX. The 
immense space, the great height, the many small but bril- 
liantly coloured windows, and the dim light lend to this vast 
church an air of peculiar majesty and repose. 

On the Entrance Wall, to the left of the spectator, Por- 
trait of the Condottiere Niccolo Marucci of Tolentino (d. 
1434), attributed to Andrea del Castagno ; to the right, eques- 
trian Portrait of the celebrated English Condottiere, Sir John 
Hawkwood, by Paolo Uccello. Hawk wood, after serving 
the Florentine Republic as a general for many years, died in 
Florence in 1394. To the left of main portal, Marble Statue 
of Pope Boniface VIIL Over the central door is a Mosaic 
of the Coronation of the Virgin, by Gaddo Gaddi (?), and on 
either side Angels in fresco, by 'Santi di Tito. The four 
Heads of Prophets in the angles of the curious mediaeval 
clock are by Paolo Uccello. To the right, the fine Gothic 
Monument of Antonio Orso, Bishop of Florence (d. 1336), 
by Tino da Camaino of Siena. 

Right or Southern Aisle. Monument of ' Brunelleschi 
vvith marble portrait by his pupil Buggiano. Statue of 
foshua by Ciuffagni ; Bust of Giotto, by Benedetto da Majano 
'1490), with epitaph composed by Politian. Over first lateral 
door, Monument of General Pietro Farnese (d. 1361). Bust 
of the Humanist,. Marsilio Ficino, by Andrea Ferrucci of 



36 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Fiesole. On the first column of nave, Portrait in fresco of 
S. Antonino, by Francesco da Poppi, and below it an ele- 
gant holy water basin, attributed to Giotto. 

Left Aisle of Nave. Bust of the Architect Emilio De 
Fabris (d. 1 883). In adjoining niche, Statue of Poggio Brac- 
ciolini(?) as King David, by CiufYagni. Modern Tablet with 
Medallion to A mo If o di Cambio, by Cambi (1843). Bust of 
the Organist A?itonio Squarcialupi, the friend of Lorenzo dei 
Medici, by Benedetto da Majano. To the left of the Porta 
della Mandorla, Picture of Dante, on wood, with a view of 
Florence and a curious representation of certain scenes from 
the " Divine Comedy ". This striking memorial was erected 
by order of the Opera del Duomo, or Cathedral Board of 
Works, in 1465, and is the work of Domenico di Michelino, 
its erection being largely the result of the public lectures on 
the poet's works given in Florence by Fra Antonio da San 
Francesco. Beyond this, over the door, Tomb of Aldobran- 
dino Ottobuoni, an honest Florentine citizen, who in 1256 
refused a bribe from the Pisan envoys. On the first pillar, 
above the stoup, Portrait of San Zanobi, enthroned with his 
disciples Eugenius and Crescentius, by a painter of the school 
of Giotto. 

Choir. The octagonal choir occupies the space below the 
inner dome, which is adorned with indifferent frescoes of the 
Last Judgment by Vasari and Federigo Zucchero. It is 
enclosed within a marble screen designed by Giuliano di 
Baccio d'Agnolo and ornamented with bas-reliefs of the 
Apostles by Baccio Bandinelli (1555). At the back of 
the high altar is a Pieta, or group of the Virgin with the 
dead Christ, a late and unfinished work by Michelangelo. 
The tall wooden crucifix is the work of Benedetto da Majano. 

Fine ceremonies take place in this choir on the great 
festivals of the Church, notably during Holy Week, on S. 
John's Day (24 June) and on All Saints' Day (1 November). 
The singing of the Office every afternoon in the choir forms 
always an impressive scene, and ought, if possible, to be 
attended. 

Right Transept, known as the Tribuna di Sant' Antonio, 
with indifferent Statues ofSS. Philip and James, by Giovanni 
dalP Opera, Frescoes of Saints, by Bicci di Lorenzo. Adjoin- 
ing this transept is the door of the South, or Old Sacristy, 
celebrated as having afforded shelter to Lorenzo dei Medici 



THE CATHEDRAL 37 

during the conspiracy of the Pazzi in 1478. Over its portal 
an Ascension in glazed terra-cotta, by Luca della Robbia 
(1446). The sacristy itself contains amongst other objects a 
Painting of the Archangel Michael, by Lorenzo di Credi 

(I523)- 

Tribune of San Zanobi, the most eastern portion of the 

cathedral. This contains the rich and magnificent Shrine 
of San Zanobi, with its splendid sarcophagus of gilded bronze, 
one of Ghiberti's finest achievements (1440). Behind the 
altar a Cenacolo, or Last Supper, by Balducci. The four 
adjoining chapels contain seated statues of the four Evangel- 
ists originally intended for the old fagade of the church ; 
S. Luke by Nanni di Banco ; S. John the Divine, an early 
but fine work by Donatello, which is said to have inspired 
Michelangelo's conception of his famous seated " Moses " ; 
5. Matthew, by Ciuffagni, and S. Mark, by Niccolo d'Arezzo. 

The North, or New Sacristy, between the Tribune of San 
Zanobi and the Tribune of the Holy Cross, has its doorway 
surmounted by a fine Resurrectioii of Luca della Robbia, who 
also designed and cast the ornate bronze doors with the 
assistance of Michelozzo and Maso di Bartolommeo (1446-- 
67). The fine inlaid woodwork (inlarsia) and the frieze 
of cherubim in wood within the sacristy are the work of 
Giuliano da Majano. 

North Transept, or Tribune of the Holy Cross. Fres- 
coes in the chapels by Bicci di Lorenzo. Statue of S. Andrew, 
by Andrea Ferrucci (15 12), and Statue of S. Thomas, by 
Vincenzo dei Rossi. In the middle of the pavement of this 
transept is the Marble Disc once used as a gnomon by the 
celebrated Paolo Toscanelli (d. 1482), who was wont to make 
astronomical observations at this spot. 

Between this transept and the " Porta della Mandorla," or 
north latera^ door of the church, is the entrance of the stair- 
case, leading by 463 steps to the lantern of the dome. The 
ascent is interesting and not particularly fatiguing (fee of 50 
a). A good idea can be obtained of the construction of 
Brunelleschi's immense cupola, and the view from the sum- 
mit, embracing the red-roofed city, the fertile valley of the 
Arno, and the surrounding hills, is superb. 

The design of the handsome pavement of coloured marbles 
is attributed to Michelangelo, to Baccio dAgnolo, and to 
Francesco da Sangallo. The numerous stained-glass win- 



38 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

dows, which are such an important feature of the Duomo, 
were designed by Ghiberti, Donatello, and other artists of 
eminence. The mysterious cipher OPA, represented on the 
huge shield that hangs in the nave, is the abbreviated form of 
" Opera del Duomo," the Cathedral Board of Works. 

The Campanile of Giotto \ or Bell-tower of the Cathedral, 
an architectural marvel of combined strength and elegance, 
" the Lily of Florence blossoming in stone," stands at the 
south-west angle of the fagade, on the site of the old belfry of 
Santa Reparata. Designed and begun by Giotto in 1334 
and finished under his successors Andrea Pisano and 
Francesco Talenti, it presents one of the finest examples of 
Italian Gothic. It is divided into five well-marked storeys 
(of which the three upper storeys alone possess windows), that 
increase in height at each stage, thereby giving an additional 
appearance of loftiness and lightness to the whole structure, 
which is 292 feet high. The whole tower is faced with 
variegated marbles, its two lower stages being distinguished 
by a number of bas-reliefs and statues, the work of the most 
famous Florentine artists and sculptors. In the lowest storey 
is represented the progress of human civilization, in a series 
of bas-reliefs set in hexagonal compartments, which naively 
exhibit the prevalent ideas and philosophy of the fourteenth 
century. Amongst these twenty-eight designs may be 
noticed (on the western face) the Creation of Eve ; Adam 
Delving a7id Eve Spinning ; Man Subduing a Horse (rid- 
ing) ; Ploughing with Oxen (agriculture), etc. ; whilst the 
corresponding seven designs on the northern side of the 
tower (that facing the cathedral) are intended to personify 
the liberal arts under the guise of statues of the great masters, 
such as Pheidias (for sculpture), Ape lies (for painting), etc. 
The designs in the lozenge-shaped plaques above are the 
Seven Cardinal Virtues on the west side ; the Seven Works 
of Mercy on the south side (appropriately facing the build- 
ings of the historic " Misericordia ") ; the Seven Beatitudes 
on the east side ; and the Seven Sacraments on the north 
side. Giotto himself, Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia 
are responsible for the conception and execution of these 
curious and interesting ornaments. Above these are sixteen 
niches, four on each face of the square tower, containing in all 
sixteen statues of prophets, patriarchs, and sibyls, from the 
hands of various Tuscan sculptors. The second statue from 



THE CAMPANILE AND BAPTISTERY 39 

the cathedral on the western side is Donatello's so-called 
David, commonly known as " II Zuccone," or the Bald-pate, 
from the hairless head of the original of the statue, for which 
the artist's friend, Giovanni Balduccio Cherichini, lent his 
features. It was one of Donatello's favourite masterpieces, 
so much so that he was wont to swear on occasions by the 
intense faith he had in his beloved " Zuccone ". The tall 
windows with their ornate columns of the three upper storeys 
are marvels of grace, lightness, and elaborate decoration. The 
topmost stage contains the cathedral bells, whose deep boom- 
ing at daybreak and sunset can be distinctly heard through- 
out all parts of the city. On the eastern side of the tower is 
the entrance to the stairway, a pretty Gothic portal, attributed 
to Andrea Pisano. The ascent to the summit (fee of 50 c.) 
consists of 414 steps, but the view obtained therefrom is not 
so extensive as that from the cathedral dome. On great 
Church festivals the pennant of the Opera del Duojho with 
its emblem of the Holy Lamb and flag floats from the top 
of the tower, which is crowned with a traceried terrace of 
white marble. According to tradition, Giotto intended to 
complete his tower with a tall spire, but it is hard to conceive 
of any addition that could possibly improve on the perfect 
proportions of this marvellous building as it exists to-day. 

The Baptistery, or Church of S. John the Baptist, patron 
saint of Florence, and the ancient cathedral of the city until 
the year 1128, is referred to by Dante in a famous passage 
of the " Inferno " as il mio bel San Giovanni. Erected prob- 
ably in the sixth century on the site of a pagan temple to Mars, 
the church was rebuilt towards the close of the eleventh 
century, when its rough walls were covered with slabs of 
white and dark green Prato marble, and the three existing 
doors were opened ; whilst the original entrance, behind the 
present high altar, was closed. Like all the early baptis- 
teries built under Lombardic influence in Italy, the form 
both of sub-structure and of roof is octagonal, and in this 
case consists of three storeys, of which only the second con- 
tains windows, the lighting of the interior being assisted by 
a lantern at the summit of the dome. The chief external 
ornaments of this most famous and historic building are the 
three Doorways, which were adorned in the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries with the choicest and richest works that 
the incomparable artists of Florence could produce. First, 



4 o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

in point of time, is the South Gate, which forms the 
usual entrance to the building. This is the work of Andrea 
Pisano and was cast in 1330. Originally placed opposite the 
fagade of the Duomo, Andrea's gate was removed to the 
southern doorway in 1439 to make way for the more cele- 
brated masterpiece of Lorenzo Ghiberti. Many persons, 
however, will perhaps prefer the simpler designs of Andrea 
Pisano to the more elaborate production of Ghiberti. This 
south door, which depicts scenes from the life of S. John 
the Baptist, is surrounded by a beautiful framework of fruit 
and flowers, which was designed by Ghiberti himself. Over 
the door is a group of the Decollation of the Saint, by 
Vincenzo Danti (1571). The second Door, facing the Duomo, 
contains the famous Bronze Gates of Lorenzo Ghiberti, 
which Michelangelo pronounced worthy to serve as the 
entrance to Paradise. These doors, which represent in ten 
compartments scenes from Old Testament history, form "one 
of the artistic marvels of Florence. Their exquisite " pictures 
in gilded bronze " deserve the most careful study, as do also 
their surrounding ornaments in the borders, which include, 
besides the usual decoration of fruit and flowers, twenty-four 
heads of prophets, judges, etc., amongst them being the 
artist's own portrait, which has been introduced into the 
central band with the Latin inscription beside it, Laurentii 
Cionis de Ghibertis mira arte fabricatum. Above this 
superb work is the Baptism of Christ, by Andrea Sansovino 
(1502). The two broken antique pillars of red porphyry 
beside this gate were presented by the Republic of Pisa as 
a thank-offering for the assistance given by Florence in the 
war of 1 1 17 against the Saracens: The North Door is also 
the work of Lorenzo Ghiberti, being the outcome of a cele- 
brated public competition, in which Ghiberti's design was 
preferred by the judges of the Republic to those submitted 
to them by Brunelleschi, Jacopo della Quercia, and other 
leading artists. This was in 1400, when the artist was but 
twenty-two years old, and his success on this occasion 
doubtless spurred the youthful Ghiberti to the subsequent 
efforts which produced the "Gates of Paradise" already 
mentioned. This north door represents in twenty-eight 
sections the history of Christ, the Apostles, and the early 
Fathers of the Church, and though not so famous as the 
neighbouring masterpiece, this earlier work is almost as 



THE BAPTISTERY 41 

beautiful and deserving of close inspection. Above it, 
the Preaching of S. John, by Francesco Rustici (151 1 ). 

The interior (best visited on a sunny day near noon) is 
very dark, so that the mosaics of the dome are .eldom seen 
to advantage. The roof is supported by sixteen ancient 
columns, fifteen of granite and one of white marble, with 
gilded capitals. The ancient pavement, of inlaid black and 
white marbles, consists of a series of intricate patterns. To 
the right near the centre of the pavement is the curious 
Monument of the Astrologer Strozzo Strozzi (d. 1048), with 
the signs of the Zodiac and the enigmatical sentence (reading 
alike forwards and backwards), En gire torte sol ciclos et 
roter igne. The baptismal Font, wherein every child born 
in Florence is baptized, was set up in its present position in 
the seventeenth century after the destruction of the old 
historic font. Near the high altar, disfigured by an incon- 
gruous marble group dating from the eighteenth century, we 
find the Tomb of Bishop Ranieri (tenth century), commonly 
called the Tomb of the Cabbage- woman (" La Cavoloja") by 
the Florentines, who believe that this monument contains the 
remains of a former favourite of the people, an old vegetable- 
seller who grew rich in the market and was buried at this 
spot. Next this is the splendid Renaissance Monument of 
Cardinal Baldassare Cossa, the ex- Pope John XXIII, who 
was formally deposed by the Council of Constance in 141 5. 
Dying later in Florence, the ex-pontiff was magnificently 
buried in this church under his papal title by Cosimo dei 
Medici, in spite of the protests of the reigning pope. The 
recumbent figure is a fine work by Donatello. Near the 
entrance is a wooden Statue of the Magdalen, an unpleasing 
work by the same great master. The Triforium is com- 
pletely covered with mosaic decoration in black and white, 
whilst the whole of the Cupola is covered with striking 
Mosaics in bright colours on a gold ground. These mosaics, 
which it has taken some twenty years to restore, were in 
March, 1908, freed from their scaffolding and again exposed 
to public view. They are the joint work of a Greek artist 
named Apollonius, of Andrea Tafi, and of other Florentine 
masters of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Their 
most prominent feature is the gigantic figure of Christ above 
the high altar. The apse behind this altar is still (1910) 
undergoing restoration of its mosaics. The octagonal cupola 



42 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

served Brunelleschi for a model of the dome which he 
undertook to construct for the cathedral. 

In the piazza, near the north door of the Baptistery, is an 
ancient pillar of cipollino marble surmounted by a cross and 
known as the " Column of San Zanobi," since it was erected 
in 1330 to commemorate the transfer of the Saint's relics from 
San Lorenzo to the cathedral. In the houses opposite to 
this cross is a pretty Renaissance doorway with a terra-cotta 
statue of the Baptist above it by Michelozzo (?), which was 
the entrance to the former residence of the Canons of San 
Giovanni. 

The Piazza del Duotno^ together with the adjoining Piazza 
di San Giovanni, consists of a long irregular space in the 
heart of the city, surrounding the three great buildings of the 
Cathedral, the Campanile, and the Baptistery. The western 
end of this space is occupied by the Archi-episcopal Palace 
(Arcivescovado), restored by Dosio at the close of the six- 
teenth century at the expense of Cardinal Alessandro dei 
Medici, afterwards Pope Leo XI, whose fine papal escutcheon 
in polychrome is conspicuously displayed at the north-east 
angle of the present palace, which was almost wholly rebuilt 
in the last century. The coat-of-arms on the south-east 
angle is that of Cardinal Bausa (d. 1899). Although so 
much modernized, the palace still retains on its western side, 
abutting on the little Piazza dell' Olio, the eleventh-century 
facade in black and white marbles of the small Church of 
San Salvatore. By a special dispensation of the first Medi- 
cean pope, Leo X, the Archbishops of Florence are allowed 
to officiate in public in the robes of a cardinal, even before 
they have actually been raised to the purple. 

On the south side of the piazza, at the corner of the Via 
Calzaioli, stands the graceful little building known commonly 
as the Bigallo, consisting of an open Loggia by Orcagna (?) 
and some internal chambers erected between 1352 and 1358 
by the Confraternity of the " Misericordia ". The three statues 
in Gothic niches over the Loggia represent the Virgin, S. 
Lucia, and S. Peter Martyr (Fra Pietro da Verona), whose 
preaching against the heretics known as the " Paterini " in 
the thirteenth century caused the foundation of the orthodox 
" Compagnia del Bigallo ". Of the two almost obliterated 
frescoes, attributed to Taddeo Gaddi, the first shows the 
Saint preaching violently against the dreaded Paterini and 



THE MISERICORDIA 43 

presenting banners to the newly formed military company of 
the Bigallo ; and the latter illustrates his exorcism of the 
Devil with the sign of the Cross. The Madonna in the pretty 
lunette over the door is by Alberto di Arnoldo, a pupil of 
Andrea Pisano. Within the building (shown between 3 p.m. 
and 5 p.m.) is a small collection of early paintings, including 
a Madonna del la Misericordia, by Ridolfo Ghirlandajo (1 5 1 5), 
and a Tabernacle, by Bernardo Daddi (1333). The Bigallo 
is now used as the office of the Foundling Hospital. 

On the same side of the piazza, a little to the east of the 
Via Calzaioli, is the present head-quarters of the Misericordia. 
This famous company owes its foundation in the thirteenth 
century to a humble porter, named Pietro Borsi, who con- 
ceived the truly pious idea of an organized company of men 
ready to carry the dead to burial or the sick to hospital during 
the frequent and dreaded visitations of the plague in Florence. 
Borsi's noble efforts and example commended themselves to 
the people of Florence, with the result that this world-famous 
society was duly enrolled and endowed. In 1425 the phil- 
anthropic Society of the Misericordia was joined with the 
older company of the Bigallo, whilst in 1491 a new set of 
regulations was drawn up for the Confraternity under the 
guidance of the Archbishop Rinaldo Orsini. In 1576 the 
Misericordia was granted the building it still occupies by the 
Grand- Duke Francesco I. All Florentine men, of every 
rank in life, consider it a peculiar honour to belong to this 
ancient institution, of which the King of Italy and the Arch- 
bishop of Florence are ex-officio heads. The members of 
the Misericordia whilst engaged on their pious errands form 
one of the most picturesque and remarkable of the many 
curious street scenes of modern Florence, since when on 
duty they still wear in public the long black robe and the 
hood masking the face. The small church contains an Altar 
by Andrea della Robbia, and a fine Statue of S. Sebastian, 
the patron of the Confraternity, by Benedetto da Majano. 
The church is illuminated and the wardrobe is exposed to 
public view on this Saint's festival (20 January). 

Beyond the Misericordia is the Palazzo dei Ca?ionici, a 
dismal range of buildings erected in 1827 and occupied by 
the clergy of the cathedral, who from this point can frequently 
be seen crossing the piazza in procession to the south lateral 
door of the church opposite. In the centre of its facade are 



44 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

statues of Arnolfo di Cambio and of Filippo Brunelleschi, 
colossal but feeble works by Pampaloni (1830). Further 
east, now inserted into the wall, is the red marble slab, 
known as the Sasso di Dante, which is said to have afforded 
a seat to the poet whilst he used to watch the progress of the 
vast cathedral then in course of erection. 

On the northern side of the piazza, between the Via Ricasoli 
and the Via dei Servi, is an ancient building, formerly the 
head-quarters of the " Opera del Duomo," and still bearing 
some fine shields with the civic arms and the emblem of the 
Guild of Wool. On the eastern side is a handsome modern 
bust of Donatello placed in 1886 on the house, which was 
once his studio, and intended to commemorate the fifth cen- 
tenary of the master's birth. 

Almost opposite the easternmost point of the cathedral is 
the small but extremely interesting Museum, belonging to 
the Cathedral Board of Works, and therefore commonly called 
the Opera del Duomo (fee of 50 a), which should be visited, 
if possible, after an inspection of the interior of the Duomo 
itself. The Museum is entered by a courtyard and a door- 
way, above which is placed an excellent bust by Giovanni 
dalP Opera (1572) of the Grand-Duke Cosimo I. Here are 
preserved numerous objects, many of great interest and 
beauty, which were originally intended for the decoration of 
the cathedral. In the vestibule is a Bust of Brunelleschi, a 
fine work of Buggiano, his pupil, dated 1444 ; whilst in the 
corridor beyond and also on the staircase are various archi- 
tectural fragments, reliefs, mosaics, specimens of stained glass, 
etc. On the first floor is a large hall, containing amongst 
other treasures the two celebrated Cantorie, or Organ Lofts, 
which were removed from the Duomo in 1840, when the 
present organs were erected. That on the wall to the left on 
entering, the work of Donatello, is of most ornate design in 
white marble embellished with pillars and encrusted with 
translucent mosaics. The frieze represents a number of 
children playing in the most expressive and natural attitudes, 
so that the whole composition seems alive with vigour. On 
the opposite wall is the Cantoria of Luca della Robbia, con- 
sisting of ten groups of children playing on musical instru- 
ments and dancing, more restrained and more graceful, if less 
animated in appearance than the rival group by Donatello. 
Della Robbia's gallery bears an appropriate Latin inscription 




H ' I % ; 



i 



MUSEO DELL' OPERA 45 

selected from the verses of the 1 50th Psalm. Two of its 
plaques, which formerly were affixed to the ends of the gallery, 
are now fastened to the wall below, and exhibit groups of youths 
singing in chorus which are very popular and are constantly 
to be seen reproduced in the modern Cantagalli ware and 
other Florentine artistic work. On the same side of the room 
as these last-mentioned works of Delia Robbia is the magni- 
ficent Silver Altar, perhaps the finest specimen of the art of 
true jewellery in existence, which was until recent years used 
at the great ceremonial held in the Baptistery on the festival 
of S. John the Baptist (24 June). The joint work of various 
Florentine silversmiths of the fourteenth century, this splendid 
dossale, or altar frontal, includes twelve scenes from the life 
of the patron saint of Florence, all executed with the most 
minute detail, besides numerous niches, statuettes, and decora- 
tions of richly coloured enamels. The great Silver Cross 
with the figures of S. John the Divine and the Virgin is 
somewhat later in date, being the work of Betto Betti and 
Antonio Pollajuolo. The whole work was finished about 1459. 
This room also contains some fine Vestments, including a 
magnificent set of embroideries representing scenes in the 
life of the Baptist ; a Paschal Candlestick inlaid with mosaic, 
a mosaic Portrait of San Zanobi, etc. In the room beyond 
is arranged a complete collection of the designs sent in by 
architects competing for the commission for the new facade 
of the cathedral. The two successful designs by De Fabris 
are prominently displayed, and will arouse considerable in- 
terest. In the centre of the room is a series of Models for 
the dome, including the original model for the lantern, con- 
structed by Brunelleschi. 

Piazza delP Annunziata. — The handsome and regular 
Via dei Servi with its numerous palaces, running north- 
east from the apse of the Duomo, forms an appropriate 
and worthy entrance into the Piazza dell' Annunziata, the 
most beautiful and architecturally perfect of the piazze of 
Florence. In the centre of the square stands the fine 
equestrian statue of the Grand-Duke Ferdinand I, one of the 
last works of Gian-Bologna, though sometimes attributed to 
Pietro Tacca. It was not erected till the year 1640 by 
Ferdinand II, who as an emblem of his grandfather's majesty 
and industry has placed on the bronze plaque of its marble 



46 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

base the monarch-bee surrounded by the obedient inhabi- 
tants of the whole hive. Readers of Robert Browning's well- 
known poem, the " Statue and the Bust," will at once recog- 
nize in this effigy the original of the statue mentioned in that 
dramatic but purely imaginary love-story of the Grand-Duke 
and a bride of the House of the Riccardi, towards whose 
ancient palace the eyes of the figure are directed. The two 
bronze fountains with shells and sea-monsters are the work 
of Pietro Tacca. On the south side of the piazza is the long 
arcaded and raised front of the famous Spedale degli Inno- 
cently the great foundling establishment of Florence, the 
building of which was begun about 1420 by Brunelleschi 
and finished by his pupil Francesco della Luna in 145 1. 
The chief founder of this charitable institution, which is still 
a source of pride and utility to Florence, was Leonardo 
Bruni, commonly called Leonardo of Arezzo, or PAretino, 
who persuaded the Republic to build, regulate, and endow 
this hospital, which was placed under the special protection 
of the Guild of Silk. Originally intended to serve for illegiti- 
mate children and foundlings only, the scope of the hospital 
has in recent times been extended to include the children of 
poor parents under certain conditions. The little inmates of 
the Innocenti are reared, cared for, and educated for service, 
and small dowries are provided for girls marrying with 
the consent of the Governing Board of five members. 
Over 1000 children are received annually in this historic 
asylum. 

In the lunettes of the exterior arcade are charming speci- 
mens of Della Robbia coloured and glazed terra-cotta ware, 
representing infants in swaddling bands, each in a different 
attitude and each with a different but equally pleasing expres- 
sion. In the vaulting of the arcade are some decorative 
frescoes by Poccetti. The portal leads to a pretty courtyard, 
to the left of which is the chapel, having a fine lunette of 
the Annunciation, by Luca Della Robbia, over its doorway. 
Inside the chapel is the Adoration of the Magi, serving as 
an altar-piece, one of the most admired works of Domenico 
Ghirlandajo, painted in 1488. The Board's private room 
contains a few pictures by Florentine masters, including a 
fine Marriage of S. Catherine, by Piero di Cosimo, the 
master of Andrea del Sarto. 




CHURCH OF THE SS. AXXUXZIATA 



P- 47 




rHE BIGALLO 



CHURCH OF THE ANNUNZIATA 47 

The building with the arcade on the opposite side of the 
piazza, facing the Hospital of the Innocenti, was erected in 
1520 from an old design of Brunelleschi's. On its arches 
are medallions with the large " S " entwined with Annuncia- 
tion lilies, which is the badge of the Servite Order. 

The eastern side of the piazza is occupied by the facade 
of the great Church of the Santissima Annunziata. The 
story of its foundation constitutes an integral portion of 
Florentine history. In the thirteenth century seven gentle- 
men of Florence, with Benedetto Buonfiglio at their head, 
retired to spend a contemplative life on the crest of Monte 
Senario, the mountain that lies to the north of Fiesole and forms 
a conspicuous object in views from that ancient city. Here 
was instituted the Order of the " Servi di Maria," or Servants 
of Mary, under the rule of the Augustinians. Leaving their 
chosen mountain retreat for the town itself, the members of 
the newly founded Order settled outside the gates of Florence 
at the exact spot now covered by this magnificent church 
and monastery, which in the fourteenth century came to be 
included within the third circle of the city walls. The wealth, 
popularity, and reputation of the Senate Fathers increased 
steadily, and brought numerous benefactors to their assist- 
ance, so that their church was enlarged and decorated by the 
best artists of the period. The facade has a much injured 
Mosaic of the Annunciation, by Davide Ghirlandajo, over its 
central door, and is approached by a handsome portico of 
Corinthian columns completed in 1601 by Caccini, who fol- 
lowed an older plan left by Antonio da Sangallo. Behind 
the fagade is a fore-court, covered with a glass roof to pro- 
tect its precious frescoes from the weather. This court, with 
its frescoed upper storey, was especially constructed for 
Piero dei Medici, "II Gottoso," in 1447 by Manetti, a pupil 
of Brunelleschi, so as to enable that prince to obtain private 
access to the famous shrine of the Virgin within the church. 
The lower portion of this courtyard, sometimes called the 
Chiostro dei Vuoti, is covered with a series of frescoes by 
Andrea del Sarto and other artists, which are amongst the 
most celebrated in Florence, though for the most part faded 
and damaged. On the left on entering from the piazza, 
nearest the church door, is the first of the series, the Nativ- 
ity, by Alessio Baldovinetti (almost destroyed) ; and next to 
this work the Story of S, Filippo Benizzi of the Order of the 



48 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Servites, in six compositions : (i) The Saint assumes the robe 
of the Servites, painted by Cosimo Rosselli in 1476 (the 
remaining five, dating from 1509-10, are all wholly or in 
part by Andrea del Sarto) ; (2) San Filippo shares his cloak 
with a leper ; (3) the gamblers who had scoffed at the 
Saint's sermons struck by lightning, one of the finest of 
this series of the career of S. Filippo ; (4) healing of a 
woman filled with an evil spirit ; (5) death of the Saint, 
with a miracle of a boy cured by the touch of S. Filippo's 
robe ; (6) healing of children by means of the Saint's 
garments, which contains in the old man with the staff an 
interesting portrait of Andrea della Robbia. In the midst of 
the corridor Bust of Andrea del Sarto, by Caccini. This 
artist, "the perfect painter," is closely associated with the 
Church of the Annunziata, which his skill did so much to 
embellish ; whilst his house, still standing and marked with 
a tablet, is situated close by in the adjoining Via Gino 
Capponi to the south of the church. 

On the right side of the fore-court, beginning on the side 
nearest the church : ( 1 ) Procession of the Magi, by Andrea 
del Sarto, who has depicted them as travelling through Tuscan 
scenery ; (2) The Birth of the Virgin, also by Andrea, exe- 
cuted by the artist in 15 14 and universally acknowledged as 
one of the finest frescoes in Italy. Andrea's worthless wife, 
Lucrezia del Fede, stood as model here for the figure of the 
central lady of the group, and it is related that when an old 
woman this Lucrezia used to point proudly to this fresco, and 
tell visitors to the church that she was the widow of the famous 
painter who had made such use of her beauty in this and in 
so many others of his paintings. A specially pathetic interest 
attaches to these frescoes, for the unlucky artist is said to 
have received only ten ducats each for these two master- 
pieces ; (3) Marriage of the Virgi?i, a good example of 
Franciabigio's work. The destruction of the head of the 
Virgin in this work is said to have been due to the infuriated 
artist, who thus revenged himself on the monks of the An- 
nunziata for uncovering his painting before it was fully com- 
pleted ; (4) The Visitation, 15 16, latest in point of date, by 
Pontormo, the pupil of Andrea del Sarto, fine in composi- 
tion and colour ; (5) The Assumption of the Virgin, by 
Rosso Fiorentino, painted in 1 5 1 3, when the artist was 
seventeen years old. The S. James on the left dressed 



CHURCH OF THE ANNUNZIATA 49 

as a pilgrim is a portrait of the poet Francesco Berni (d. 

! 53 6 )- ... 

The interior, which is cruciform with an elliptical dome 

above the choir, is rich with painting, sculpture, and gilding, 
somewhat resembling the interiors of the rococo Roman 
churches. Much of the decoration dates from the seven- 
teenth and early eighteenth centuries, and is gaudy but most 
effective. On the left, near the door, is the celebrated 
Chapel of the SS. Annunziata, containing the wealthiest and 
most popular shrine in Florence. The chapel itself was de- 
signed in 1448 for Piero dei Medici by Michelozzo. The 
chief object of devotion preserved here is a fresco, deemed 
miraculous, of the Annunciation, which is said to have been 
the work of Pietro Cavallini, the legend being that the Virgin 
herself condescended to paint her own likeness so as to assist 
the perplexed artist in his work. It is only exposed to public 
view on the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March). The 
ornate canopy of the chapel was added in the seventeenth 
century, and serves to spoil the proportions of Michelozzo's 
elegant structure. Over the altar is a beautiful Head of the 
Saviour, by Andrea del Sarto. The shrine is hung round 
with numerous votive offerings and with lamps of solid silver, 
replacing those melted down in the troubles ensuing on the 
French occupation of Italy at the close of the eighteenth 
century. The shrine itself with its many devotees always 
forms an interesting study, and no doubt the reader is well 
aware of the charming description of this favourite place 
of Florentine pilgrimage and prayer in the pages of Mrs. 
Browning's " Aurora Leigh ". 

The interior, though greatly modernized, still retains a 
few good works by early Florentine masters. The first 
chapel on the right possesses a good altar-piece of the 
Virgin with Saints, by Jacopo da Empoli, and some frescoes 
by Rosselli. In the fifth chapel on the same side, the Cap- 
pella Medici, is the fine Renaissance Tomb of Orlando 
Medici, by Simone di Betto. In the chapel opening out of 
the right transept is a Pieta, by Baccio Bandinelli, over the 
actual tomb of that sculptor, whose portrait appears in the 
bearded face of Nicodemus that supports the dead Christ. 
The fine Renaissance Organ Galleries of white marble in the 
nave are worthy of notice. 

The Tribune of the church, which is covered by the 



5o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

curious but effective depressed dome, was designed by Leon- 
Battista Alberti in 145 1. It contains the circular marble 
choir and a number of chapels of no particular interest, ex- 
cepting the fifth (immediately behind the high altar), the 
" Cappella del Soccorso," erected by Gian-Bologna to serve as 
a personal memorial and decorated with statuary and reliefs 
by himself and by his favourite pupils, Tacca and Franca- 
villa. The Tribune of this church is the scene of the fine 
musical services which take place here every Sunday and 
holy-day throughout the year, especially at the great festivals 
connected with the Virgin. 

On the northern pier supporting the choir is the monu- 
ment with effigy of Angelo Marzi-Medici, Bishop of Assisi, 
minister of Cosimo I, who allowed this devoted servant of 
his House to assume the name and arms of the Medici in 
addition to his own. The monument is by Francesco da 
Sangallo, whose name and the date (1546) are carved on the 
marble. The recumbent effigy opposite is that of Donato 
dell' Antella(d. 1702), at whose expense the church was 
largely re-decorated in its present form. In the left or 
northern aisle, the first chapel nearest the Tribune contains 
an altar-piece, by Perugino, the Assumption of the 
Virgin. The fourth chapel, that of Francesco Feroni, a rich 
merchant of the seventeenth century, is remarkable for its 
gorgeous but tasteless decoration by Foggini (1692). 

In the left transept are buried the three Florentine his- 
torians of the family of Villani — Giovanni, Matteo, and Filippo. 
From this transept a door leads into the Burial Cloister 
(Chiostro dei Morti), a court built by Michelozzo and 
filled with tombs and monuments, chiefly of benefactors to 
the church and monastery. In the corner of this cloister 
near the transept is a large glass screen, intended to pre- 
serve a very famous fresco by Andrea del Sarto from destruc- 
tion, though the painting has been already terribly defaced 
by weather and neglect in the past. The fresco, dating from 
1525, which is in the lunette above the transept door, repre- 
sents the Virgin and Child with S. Joseph, who reads 
aloud from a book whilst he leans against a grain-sack, a 
circumstance that has given the popular name of the 
" Madonna del Sacco " to this work. Vasari considered the 
" Madonna del Sacco " unsurpassed for drawing, colour, and 
charm of composition ; whilst according to a well-known 



"~~ 



S. APOLLONIA— SS. APOSTOLl 51 

tradition Michelangelo was a particular admirer of this work. 
Even in its present dilapidated condition, it is easy to realize 
the extreme beauty and grace of this little group of the Holy 
Family. Below this fresco is the fine tomb of Chiarissimo 
Falconieri, a member of a family who were amongst the first 
founders and special supporters of the Servite Order. The 
arcades of the cloister are decorated with a number of indiffer- 
ent frescoes by Poccetti, Rosselli, and others with subjects 
alluding to the lives of the " Seven Servants of Mary," the 
foundation of the church, etc. 

Opening out of this cloister to the north is the Cappella di 
San Luca, or dei Pittori, containing a fresco of the Madonna 
and Saints, by Pontormo. The " Company of S. Luke," con- 
sisting of Florentine painters, was first established in 1350 in 
the present Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, but was trans- 
ferred hither by Cosimo I in 1561. 

S. Apollonia, Convent of. At No. 1 Via Venti-sette 
Aprile, about five minutes' walk north of the Piazza San 
Marco. Founded by the Buonarroti family about 1339, 
this convent of Gothic architecture is now used for a military 
hospital with the exception of the Refectory (entrance fee, 
25 c), which contains four large frescoes by Andrea del 
Castagno — the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Ento?nb- 
ment, and the Resurrection — all of them considerably re- 
touched. In the same room are also preserved paintings of 
Nine Fa?nous Personages, originally executed for the Villa 
Pandolfini at Legnaia, but removed hither in 1891. The 
nine persons represented, which are good works of Andrea 
del Castagno in 1445, are Pippo Spano (the best of the 
series), a celebrated Florentine general, Farinata degli 
Uberti, Niccolo Acciajoli, the Sibyl of Cumae, a Queen un- 
known, Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Queen Esther. 

The ancient Church of the Holy Apostles, or Santi 
Apostoli, stands in the picturesque little Piazza del Limbo, 
lying between the Lung 5 Arno Acciajoli and the mediaeval 
street known as Borgo dei Santi Apostoli. Popular tradition 
assigns its foundation to the Emperor Charlemagne, a legend 
that is perpetuated in the apocryphal inscription outside the 
doorway with its pent-house roof. Whatever the actual date 
of its origin, the present venerable building was certainly 
erected early in the eleventh century as a Tuscan-Romanesque 
basilica with a nave, two aisles, and a small tribune. Accord- 



52 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



ing to Vasari, it was this little church that later inspired 
Brunelleschi with his designs of the two great Basilicas of 
Santo Spirito and San Lorenzo. The elegant marble decora- 
tions of the portal, containing amongst other ornaments the 
heraldic wolf of the Altoviti family (whose former palace 
adjoins this church), are by Benedetto da Rovezzano. The 
interior, borne on Corinthian pillars of dark green marble, 
contains some monuments of the Altoviti and other neigh- 
bouring families who once owned houses in the adjoining 
Borgo dei Santi Apostoli. There are fine Tombs of Bindo 
Altoviti (right of altar), by Ammannati, and of Oddo Altoviti, 
opposite the former, a fine work by Benedetto da Rovezzano, 
executed in 1507. Close to this latter tomb is the extremely 
beautiful glazed and coloured terra-cotta Tabernacle, or 
Ciborium, a combined work of Luca and Andrea Delia 
Robbia, and one of the most perfect specimens of this charm- 
ing art left in situ. This church also possesses the sacred 
flints, brought by Pazzo dei Pazzi from Jerusalem in the 
eleventh century, which are used to kindle the holy fire on 
Easter Saturday in connexion with the ceremony of the 
" Scoppio del Carro ". 

The Badia, or ancient Benedictine Abbey dedicated to 
the Virgin and S. Stephen, and traditionally the earliest 
monastic foundation in Florence, owes its origin to Count Ugo 
of Tuscany, or rather to his pious mother, Willa. In or 
about the year 1000 a.d. the Count, as the result of a celestial 
vision of the wages of sin whilst out hunting, which gave him 
food for moral reflection, decided to found seven Benedictine 
abbeys, of which this was one ; and until modern times it 
was customary on S. Thomas's Day for a noble youth of the 
city to pronounce an eulogy in public at the High Mass upon 
the life and character of the Founder of the Florentine Badia. 
Towards the close of the thirteenth century the abbey was 
rebuilt by Arnolfo di Cambio, but in 1625 the whole structure 
was practically rebuilt again by Matteo Segaloni, who only 
spared the eastern portion of the church which adjoins the Via 
del Proconsulo. The graceful and lofty Campanile, one of the 
most prominent and beautiful objects in all views of the city, 
was erected in 1320. It is hexagonal, with elegant arcaded 
windows, and is surmounted by a brazen angel. It was well 
restored in 1895- 1900. The handsome doorway and double 
flight of steps facing the Via Ghibellina were added by 






THE BADIA S3 

Benedetto da Rovezzano in 1495 at the expense of the Pan- 
dolfini family, whose armorial bearings of dolphins are to be 
seen in the decorations. The lunette, in imitation of Delia 
Robbia work, is modern. The Badia is amongst the three 
Florentine churches mentioned in Dante's great work, the 
other two being the Baptistery and San Miniato. It was in 
this church (and not as is often, but erroneously, stated in 
the Church of San Stefano " ad Portam Ferream ") that 
Boccaccio gave a course of public lectures in 1373 on the 
" Divine Comedy" of Dante. 

A short corridor with columns and lateral chapels leads to 
the entrance door of the church itself. The interior, which 
was completely modernized in 1625 by Segaloni, is in the 
form of a Greek cross, and its general effect is very impres- 
sive, owing to the height of the ceiling and the rich decora- 
tions and numerous monuments it contains. The ornate and 
deeply cassetted ceiling of wood by Segaloni is very handsome, 
and the false organ front painted by Vasari is likewise remark- 
able. The church contains some important monuments of the 
Italian Renaissance. To the right of the door is the Tomb of 
Giannozzo Pandolfini (d. 1456), by Benedetto da Rovezzano. 
Pandolfini was instrumental in arranging a treaty of peace 
between the Republic of Florence and the Kingdom of Naples. 
Adjoining this tomb is a beautiful Altar by Mino da Fiesole 
with figures in low-relief of the Virgin with SS. Leonard and 
Lawrence. In the right transept is the fine Tomb of Ber- 
nardo Giugni (d. 1446) with recumbent effigy, by Mino da 
Fiesole. This Giugni was a celebrated Gonfaloniere of 
Justice, whose equable and firm rule was greatly appreciated 
by his contemporaries. In the left transept opposite is the 
same artist's elaborate Monument of Count Ugo, the acknow- 
ledged founder of the Badia, tardily erected by the monks 
towards the close of the fifteenth century. The repose of the 
sleeping figure is charmingly portrayed. The chapel of 
San Bernardo in this transept acts as the receptacle of the 
Altar-piece, painted by Filippino Lippi in 1480 for his patron 
Piero di Francesco del Pugliese to place in the church of La 
Campora outside the Porta Romana. Removed hither for 
safety during the siege of Florence in 1529, this masterpiece 
has since remained here. It is the finest easel picture of 
the master, and deservedly one of his most popular works. 
S. Bernard is seen seated at his desk, when the Virgin, with 



54 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

a host of attendant angels, herself appears to aid the com- 
mentary of the Saint, who gazes at the celestial vision with 
an expression of mingled awe and delight. In the corner of 
the picture is introduced the portrait of the donor, a severe 
dark man in a scarlet cap. 

From the sacristy is entered the cloister, consisting of 
two storeys. It contains a great number of tombs of the 
leading Florentine families, with whom the Badia was a 
favourite place of interment during the fourteenth and fifteenth 
centuries. Over the closed doorway leading to the refectory 
is a much damaged fresco of S. Bernard, by Fra Angelico. 
In the upper loggia are some good but also greatly damaged 
Frescoes of the fifteenth century, by Lorenzo di Viterbo (?), 
representing thirteen scenes from the life of S. Benedict. 
Here also is the Tomb, with a portrait bust, of Savonarola's 
friend and champion, Francesco Valori, who was killed by 
the Florentine mob in 1498. 

The Garden Court, beyond this cloister, contains a large 
statue of Ugo of Tuscany, and affords a good view of the 
graceful tower. 

Santa Croce. — The Piazza Santa Croce, a long rectangular 
space in the eastern part of the city, contains a marble 
fountain and the huge modern Monument to Dante, by Pazzi, 
placed here on 14 May, 1865, on the 600th anniversary of 
the poet's birthday. The colossal statue in white marble, 
19 ft. in height, stands on a tall base supported by four lions 
bearing the shields of the four principal cities of Italy. On 
the southern side of the piazza stands the former palace of the 
Antellesi, or dell' Antella, with a long front supported on 
brackets and covered with fresco decoration of the seventeenth 
century still in a fair state of preservation. The piazza itself 
in the olden days of the Republic and of the Medici was 
frequently the scene of pageants, tournaments, and games of 
the once popular Calcio. From the steps of the church at 
the eastern end of the piazza a fine view can be obtained of 
the towers of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Badia, and the Bar- 
gello. 

The great Church and Convent of Santa Croce, of which 
the foundation-stone was laid on Holy Cross Day, 1 5 May, 
1297, were built for the Franciscans, of which Order they 
formed the head-quarters in Florence. Arnolfo di Cambio 
was the first architect, being succeeded in 1334 by Giotto as 




THE VISION" OF S. BERNARD 
F?'0??t the painting by Filippino Lippi in the Badia 



CHURCH OF S. CROCE 55 

master of the works. The church is an immense T-shaped 
structure 390 ft. in length, with nave, aisles, and transepts, 
but with a very small eastern apse. The miserable facade 
of white marble was erected largely at the expense of Mr. 
Francis Sloane, an English resident in Florence, during the 
last years of the reign of the last Grand- Duke, Leopold II. 
The modern bas-relief over the central door is a good speci- 
men of Dupre's work. On the north side of the long nave 
runs a graceful loggia with square pillars and arches of- 
black and white, whence a lateral door, near the Gothic tomb 
of Francesco Pazzi, leads into the church itself. The tower, 
erected about 1840, is a conspicuous object in all distant 
views of Florence. 

The interior, in spite of many unfortunate alterations 
under the direction of Vasari in the sixteenth century, is 
most imposing and spacious owing to the great height of 
the nave supported by its fourteen octagonal piers and 
surmounted by an open roof of wooden beams. The number 
and size of the windows filled with brightly coloured stained 
glass shed a subdued but mellow light throughout this 
church, blending admirably with the innumerable monu- 
ments of the illustrious dead with which it is filled, for Santa 
Croce ever since its foundation has served as a Pantheon for 
distinguished Florentine citizens. The work of restoration 
that has lately been carried on in this church has also greatly 
tended to improve its appearance, since the coating of white- 
wash from the pillars of the nave and the painted beams of 
the roof has been scraped away and the original soft colouring 
of stone and woodwork has been again brought to light. 

[The visitor is strongly advised to inspect the many tombs, 
monuments, and frescoes of this famous church by the clearer 
light of early morning.] 

Entrance Wall. — Fine circular stained-glass window, 
of which the design, the Descent from the Cross, is ascribed 
to Lorenzo Ghiberti. Below this, a Statue in Bronze of S. 
Louis of Toulouse, by Donatello. On left, Tomb of Marches e 
Gino Capponi (d. 1876), the Florentine historian. 

Nave and Aisles. — The commission of Cosimo I to his 
favourite artist Vasari to alter the appearance of the interior 
of the church resulted amongst other unfortunate changes 
in the destruction of the frescoes by Giotto and his pupils 
depicted on the walls of the aisles, and in the removal of 



56 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

banners, armour, and escutcheons belonging to various noble 
Florentine families from the pillars of the nave. Some 
portion of these obliterated early paintings has recently been 
recovered by scraping the walls between the heavy Corinthian 
side altars with which Vasari embellished the aisles, so that 
a tolerable idea can be gained of the pristine appearance of 
the church before its sweeping restoration by Vasari in 1 560. 
Right Aisle. — Tomb of Michelangelo, designed by 
Vasari, with the master's bust and three fine allegorical figures, 
of which that of Architecture is by Giovanni dall' Opera. 
The bust, by Battista Lorenzi, is considered a particularly 
good likeness. On the pillar opposite, above the marble 
Renaissance stoup, is a beautiful almond-shaped relief of the 
Madonna and Child, by Rossellino, commonly called the 
" Madonna del Latte ". Beyond the second altar is the 
colossal Me?norial to Dante, by Stefano Ricci, erected in 
1829. Tomb of Count Vittorio Alfieri (1749- 1803), with 
the weeping Genius of Italy, by Canova, placed here in 
1 8 10 by Alfleri's devoted friend, Louise Countess of Albany. 
Opposite, on the pillar, an elaborate marble Pulpit, by Bene- 
detto da Majano, with five reliefs alluding to the foundation 
of the Franciscan Order : the Burning of Books ; S. Francis 
receiving the " Stigmata " ; the Death of S. Francis ; and 
the Martyrdom of certain friars ; below these reliefs, statues 
of Faith, Hope, Charity, Valour, and Justice. Next in order 
to the tomb of Alfieri is the huge but tastless Monument to 
Machiavelli, by Spinazzi, erected in 1787 mainly through the 
exertions of an English admirer of his works, George Nassau, 
fifth Earl Cowper. It bears a medallion portrait of the great 
thinker with the grand but simple inscription, Tanto nomini 
nullum par elogiu?n. Beyond is the Mo?iument to Padre 
Luigi La?izi (1732- 18 10), the eminent writer on Italian art. 
Close by, above the To?nb of Fra Be?iedetto dei Cavalcanti, 
is a fresco of the Baptist and S. Francis, by Andrea del 
Castagno (?) or Domenico Veneziano (?), an interesting 
remnant of the paintings which once covered the walls of this 
aisle. Next to this is a highly effective and popular work 
by Donatello, the Annunciation, of grey freestone heavily 
adorned with gilding. Over the south lateral door is a lunette 
representing the Meeting of SS. Francis and Dominic. Be- 
yond the door, the beautiful Monume?it of Leonardo Brimi 
d>Arezzo, sometimes called "PAretino," a very fine work by 




CHURCH OF S. CROCE 



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MONUMENTS TO MICHELANGELO AND DANTE IN S. CROCE 



P. 56 



CHURCH OF S. CROCE 57 

Bernardo Rossellino, with two cherubs bearing the scholar's 
coat-of-arms above the arch. Next to this is the large 
modern white marble Monument to Gioacchino Rossini, the 
composer, with a portrait (d. 1868). Monument and Bust 
of Pietro Antonio Micheli (d. 1737), the great Italian botan- 
ist. Beyond, an elaborate white marble Monument to Leo- 
poldo Nobili (1784- 1835), the eminent scientist. 

Left or Northern Aisle. — Near the entrance, Tomb 
of Vincenzo Filicaja, the poet (1642- 1707), and beyond it 
the Monument of Galileo Galilei, by Foggini, erected in 
1737. Opposite the fifth pillar of the nave, a modern 
Memorial Bust to Donatello, with a long inscription. Below 
it Monument to Carlo Botta, the historian (d. 1837). Be- 
yond the north lateral door Monument to Carlo Marsuppini 
(1399- 1 45 5), by Desiderio da Settignano, "the masterpiece 
of this sculptor," and a fine example of a Renaissance tomb. 
This Marsuppini, known as " Carlo Y Aretino," was secretary 
to the Florentine Republic, succeeding in this office Leonardo 
Bruni, whose tomb stands exactly opposite in the south 
aisle. The last monument of this aisle is that of the famous 
engraver, Raphael Morghen, whose fine work is so well 
known to all English print-collectors. He died as Professor 
of Engraving in Florence in 1833. 

Right or South Transept.— At the angle of aisle and 
transept, Monument to Prince Neri Corsini, Marquis of 
Lajatico (d. 1859). To the right, entrance to the Chapel of 
the Sacrament, sometimes called Cappella Castellani, which 
is decorated with a much injured series of Frescoes by Star- 
nina (?) or Agnolo Gaddi (?), representing scenes from the 
lives of SS. Nicholas and John the Baptist (on right) and of 
SS. John the Evangelist and Anthony (on left). Against the 
walls on bases two life-sized Statues of SS. Francis and Ber- 
nard, by the Delia Robbia. The chapel also contains the 
ornate white marble Monume?it of Louise Countess of Albany, 
widow of Prince Charles-Edward Stuart (1752-1824). The 
monument, which was executed by Santarelli from designs 
by Percier, exhibits the royal arms of Britain. Left of altar, 
Renaissance Tomb of Francesco Castella?ii and his wife, 
Elena Alemanni. 

Outside the next chapel, the Cappella Baroncelli, is a fine 
Gothic Monument with twisted columns, heraldic shields, and 
a lunette with the Madonna, of the school of Andrea Pisano 



58 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

( 1 326). Within, this chapel possesses a number of Frescoes 
illustrating the life of the Virgin, an important work by Taddeo 
Gaddi, completed between 1332 and 1338. The clumsy Pieta, 
or Group with the Dead Christ, is by Baccio Bandinelli ; the 
Statue of the Virgin to the right is by Vincenzo Perugino. 
Above this latter work is a well-preserved Fresco of the 
Madonna delta C into I a, or " of the Girdle," a fine work by 
Bastiano Mainardi, a pupil of Domenico Ghirlandajo. 

We now find ourselves facing the range of five chapels to 
the right of the High Altar. The first of these, the Cappella 
Velluti) possesses two half-obliterated Frescoes of the story 
of the Archangel Michael by a painter of the school of 
Giotto. The second and third chapels offer nothing of inter- 
est, but the fourth, the Cappella Peruzzi, contains some cele- 
brated Frescoes by Giotto, executed between 1307 and 1317, 
which were re-discovered and restored (not to say re-painted) 
by Bianchi in 1853. These portray incidents in the lives of 
SS. John the Baptist and John the Divine ; those on the 
left showing Zacharias expelled from the Temple, the 
Nativity of the Baptist, and the Dance of Salome ; whilst 
the subjects to the right deal with the career of the Evange- 
list. The Altar-piece with the Virgin, SS. Roch and 
Sebastian, is attributed to Andrea del Sarto. The fifth and 
last chapel, the Cappella dei Bardi, " the most interesting 
and perfect little Gothic chapel in all Italy," according to 
John Ruskin's verdict, contains Frescoes of scenes from the 
life of S. Francis by Giotto, which were also exposed to 
view and practically re-painted in 1853. To the right, Con- 
firmation of the rules of the Franciscans by the Pope ; the 
Saint before the Soldan ; the Saint's sick-bed and his ap- 
pearance in a dream to the Bishop of Assisi ; to the left, the 
Saint's flight from his father's house and his reception by the 
Bishop of Assisi ; his miraculous appearance to S. Anthony 
at Aries ; and his Death-bed (the best and most striking of 
the series). On the ceiling, the Saint in glory with figures 
of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, the three cardinal 
virtues of the Franciscan Order. In the sides of the win- 
dow, the four chief Saints of the Order, viz. Louis IX of 
France, Louis of Toulouse, S. Clare, and Queen Elizabeth 
of Hungary. The very interesting Altar-piece, one of the 
oldest paintings in Florence, contains a celebrated portrait 
of S. Francis with twenty-one diminutive scenes from his 



^N 



CHURCH OF S. CROCE 59 

life. The artist is unknown, its former attribution to Cima- 
bue being probably incorrect. 

On the High Altar itself is an ornate polyptych with the 
Virgin and Saints of the school of Giotto, set in an elabor- 
ately carved and gilded frame. The small but lofty Choir 
contains a series of Frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi (?), setting 
forth the story of the " Finding of the True Cross " in eight 
scenes. The tall Gothic windows filled with fourteenth- 
century stained glass produce a singularly rich effect. 

Left or Northern Transept. — In the fourth chapel 
from the High Altar are Frescoes by Bernardo Daddi of the 
Martyrdom of SS. Lawrence and Stephen (much restored), 
and a coloured terra-cotta Altar by Giovanni della Robbia. 
The fifth chapel contains Frescoes by Giottino (?), depicting 
the Life of S. Sylvester and the Conversion of the Emperor 
Constantine. To the left of this chapel is the highly orna- 
mented Gothic Tomb of Andrea dei Bardi (d. 1367), with a 
curious fresco by Giottino (?) of the deceased rising at the 
Last Judgment from his stone sarcophagus. The sixth 
chapel, formerly belonging to the " Laudesi," or singers of 
the Madonna's praises, was transferred to the Niccolini 
family towards the close of the sixteenth century. It has a 
fine iron grille and rich decorations by Dosio. In the ad- 
joining Bardi Chapel is preserved the celebrated Crucifix 
ascribed to Donatello, who is said to have acknowledged the 
inferiority of his work in this instance to that of Brunelleschi, 
who had fashioned a rival crucifix, now at S. M. Novella. 
In the wall, to the left of entrance, is a fine Gothic Tomb with 
columns, lions, shields, and arch, corresponding in position 
and design with a similar monument in the south transept 
(already mentioned). 

The pavement of the church is thickly studded with monu- 
mental slabs and effigies, many of them of great interest and 
beauty, though in most instances they have been much worn 
by the passing of feet for centuries. Amongst them may be 
mentioned the splendid Bronze Figure, by Ghiberti, of Fran- 
cesco Sansoni da Brescia, General of the Order of Friars 
Minor, and a favourite with Pope Sixtus IV. This monument 
is situated in the nave mid- way between the two lateral doors, 
and at a short distance from it to the west is the beautiful 
Tomb, with coloured marble border and with a recumbent 
1 effigy, of John Catterick, Bishop of Exeter, who died in Flov- 



6o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

ence in 1419, whilst engaged on a mission to Pope Martin V 
from King Henry V of England. 

The Sacristy and Adjoining Chapels.— The Sacristy 
is reached by a corridor which is entered through a door at 
the south-east corner of the south transept. Within the door, 
to the left, is a good Fresco of an angel with an asperges brush, 
by Mainardi, recently uncovered from a coating of whitewash. 
The first door on the left admits to the Sacristy (knock, and 
on leaving give small fee to the attendant). It is a lofty 
chamber with painted roof and furnished with wooden presses 
and cupboards of fine intarsia work. It contains a small 
collection of vestments, church plate, and illuminated books 
of vellum. The whole of the south wall is covered with good 
Frescoes of scenes from the Passion, which have been attri- 
buted to Niccolo di Piero Gerini and Ambrogio di Baldese. 
The large wooden painted Crucifix on the wall to the left, 
formerly ascribed to Margaritone, was once the property of 
the great Ghibelline warrior and patriot, Farinata degli 
Uberti (d. 1264). A graceful Gothic grille of wrought iron 
separates the sacristy from the Cappella Rinuccini, which is 
adorned with a number of frescoes by Giovanni da Milano, 
a pupil of Taddeo Gaddi (1379), illustrating events in the 
lives of the Virgin and S. Mary Magdalen. The Altar- 
piece, a splendid Gothic polyptych with the Madonna and 
ten attendant Saints, is by Taddeo Gaddi (?) 

At the farther end of the corridor already described is the 
little Cappella Medici, built by Michelozzo for Cosimo il 
Vecchio. It is entered by an exquisitely carved door, and 
contains a few pictures and some specimens of the art of the 
Delia Robbia, notably the Christ between Two Angels over 
the entrance, and a lovely Altar-piece with the Madonna 
crowned and enthroned with Saints. The Tabernacle of 
white marble, to the right, is a fine work by Mino da Fiesole. 
On the left wall is a celebrated picture in five panels, a 
Coronation of the Virgin, by Giotto (?), removed hither from 
the church, which is accounted by Vasari one of that painter's 
most important works. In the predella below the picture are 
SS. Francis, John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul the Hermit. 
The small stained-glass window displays SS. Cosmo and 
Damiano, the tutelary saints of the Medici family. 

(Entrance to the Cappella Medici, the Cappellone dei 
Pazzi, and the Museo di Santa Croce costs 1 fr., and tickets 



CHURCH OF S. CROCE 61 

are to be obtained at the porter's lodge at the entrance to the 
cloisters.) 

The irregular Cloisters, probably designed by Arnolfo di 
Cambio and built about 1300, lie to the south of the nave, 
and are usually entered from a gateway in the south-east 
corner of the piazza. There is a good view of the tower and 
of the exterior arcade of the nave, corresponding with that 
on the northern side of the church. The grass-set court- 
yard contains a colossal statue of the Almighty by Bandinelli. 
Opposite the entrance, and at the foot of a stairway leading 
to the south lateral door of the nave, is the Cappellone dei 
Pazzi, a fine example of Renaissance work by Brunelleschi, 
who erected this chapel about 1420. It consists of a square 
structure surmounted by a depressed dome and approached 
by a pillared portico with an overhead loggia. This portico 
is adorned with works by the Delia Robbia, conspicuous 
among them being the heraldic bearings of the Pazzi family 
— Azure, two dolphins addorsed between four cross crosslets 
fitchee or. Over the portal is an elegant Frieze of Cherubs'' 
Heads, attributed to Donatello and Desiderio da Settignano. 
The finely proportioned interior, with its soft grey pietra 
serena stone, is strikingly simple and severe, forming an ex- 
cellent specimen of a Renaissance building of the fifteenth 
century. It is adorned with numerous works by the Delia 
Robbia, including twelve coloured medallions of the Apostles 
and four plaques representing the Evangelists in the spandrils 
of the cupola. The frieze below, consisting of lambs and 
cherubim, is attributed to Luca della Robbia. In the six- 
teenth century this chapel of the Pazzi was used as a chapter 
house. 

Close to the door of the church at this point is the Gothic 
monument with a sarcophagus, which forms the Tomb of 
Gastone della Torre, Bishop of Aquileia, attributed to Ago- 
stino and Agnolo da Siena. 

In the south arcade of the cloisters is the entrance to the 
former Refectory of the once rich and celebrated Franciscan 
convent attached to the church. The huge room together with 
an adjoining chamber has been converted into a Museum of 
various paintings taken from closed or demolished Florentine 
churches and convents. Amongst numerous objects pre- 
served here may be mentioned two Crucifixes, one formerly 
attributed to Cimabue and the other to Giotto ; a fine fresco of 



62 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

S. Eustachius and of his legend (right of entrance) by Andrea 
del Castagno, formerly in the little Church of Sta. Maria 
sopr' Arno (now destroyed), near the Ponte Vecchio ; the 
Last Supper on canvas, a good but much injured work, by 
Vasari ; a Nativity by Perugino, and a Virgin and Child by 
Taddeo Gaddi. Opposite the entrance, a large fresco of the 
Last Supper by some painter of the school of Giotto ; above 
this, a Crucifixion and a Tree of Jesse with scenes from the 
lives of SS. Francis and Louis by an unknown master. The 
adjoining room on the left contains a large painting, by 
Giovanni da San Giovanni, representing the miraculous 
multiplication of loaves by S. Francis. 

The greater part of the large conventual buildings has 
been secularized so that no admittance can be obtained into 
the fine second Cloister of Brunelleschi, a splendid colonnaded 
Renaissance court now included in some cavalry barracks 
abutting on the Corso dei Tintori. 

San Felice. — This church, with a handsome Renaissance 
portal, gives its name to the little Piazza San Felice at the 
northern end of the Via Romana, almost under the shadow 
of the Pitti Palace. It is an ancient foundation but was 
almost rebuilt in the fifteenth century by Michelozzo (?), after 
which in the succeeding century it became the property of 
Dominican nuns, whose pillared gallery still occupies part of 
the nave. To the left of this gallery is a large painted 
Crucifix of the school of Giotto. The church contains some 
pictures, amongst them being an Altar-piece of the school of 
Botticelli at the first altar on the left, representing SS. 
Anthony, Roch, and Catherine of Siena. The sixth altar on 
the right has a Madonna and Saints (greatly restored) by 
Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. Opposite, is a much injured fresco by 
Giovanni da San Giovanni, depicting the Rescue of S. 
Maximus by S. Felix. The Chapel of the Sacrament (sixth 
altar on the left) has a delicately carved marble arch and a 
triptych by Neri di Bicci, dated 1467. 

Santa Felicita. — The Church of Santa Felicita stands in 
the little piazza of the same name, off the busy Via Guicciar- 
dini. It is of ancient origin, and was apparently surrounded 
by a Christian burial-ground in early times, as certain inscrip- 
tions, some dating from the fifth century and preserved in the 
corridor outside the church, testify. In the twelfth century 
a Benedictine nunneiy was established here in connexion 



CHURCH OF S. FELICITA 63 

with the church, and this convent was only suppressed at 
the close of the eighteenth century. Being close to the 
Pitti Palace, this church was consequently the parish church 
of the Grand-Ducal Court, which was in the habit of hearing 
Mass here, occupying for this purpose a private tribune that 
could be entered directly from the palace. The eastern part 
of the church and its ancient square belfry form a picturesque 
group when viewed from the Boboli Gardens. The present 
building is chiefly the work of Ruggieri, who practically re- 
built Santa Felicita in the year 1736. The portico was 
erected by Vasari in 1564 during his work of connecting the 
Uffizi Gallery by means of a corridor with the palace. In 
the porch are two Monuments on the left. The first is that 
of Balduccio Balducci (d. 141 4), a wealthy merchant, and 
the father of the Balduccio who sate for the David with the 
bald head (" II Zuccone ") to his friend Donatello, this monu- 
ment being a flat sepulchral slab with the deceased's effigy. 
Below this is that of the musician and artist Archiangola Pala- 
dini (d. 1600), the wife of a merchant of Antwerp named Broo- 
mas, who died at the early age of twenty-three. Opposite is the 
To?nb of Cardinal Luigi dei Rossi, the cardinal who figures 
in the famous picture by Raphael of Pope Leo X, together 
with the future Clement VII, preserved in the Pitti Gallery. 
The monument is by Raffaello da Montelupo, but the effigy 
of a prelate above is certainly not that of the cardinal, who 
died in 15 19. The Rossi family, to whom this ecclesiastic 
belonged, formerly had their palace in the little piazza behind 
this church, which is still known as Piazza dei Rossi. The 
interior is cold and bare, but possesses a few objects of value. 
The first chapel on the right contains an altar-piece, the 
Descent from the Cross, and some Frescoes by Pontormo, 
scarcely visible in the prevailing gloom. The choir and 
sacristy retain their elegant decoration of friezes of cherubs' 
heads. In the sacristy is a curious and interesting picture 

I by Neri di Bicci of Santa Felicita with her Seven Sons, whose 
j names are duly inscribed below each one. Mother and sons 
j are depicted in the costume of the fifteenth century. The 
Guicciardini family are closely connected with this church, 
and amongst their tombs before the high altar is that of the 
celebrated historian, Francesco Guicciardini. 

In the Piazza Santa Felicita is a small, round, antique 
column, standing on a circular base. It formerly supported 



6 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

a statue of S. Peter Martyr, and was perhaps originally a 
monument in the old graveyard of the church, which has 
been restored from time to time. 

San Jacopo sopr* Arno. — The picturesque little Church of 
San Jacopo sopr' Arno, whose eastern end overhangs the 
river near the Ponte Santa Trinita, and whose graceful 
campanile of red brick is so familiar a feature from the Lung' 
Arno Acciajoli, is one of the most ancient churches in 
Florence, although it was greatly altered in 1580 by Ber- 
nardino Radi of Cortona. The entrance is in the interesting 
old street called Borgo San Jacopo, which runs parallel to 
the river between the Ponte Vecchio and the Ponte Santa 
Trinita, and is one of the best existing examples of a 
mediaeval Florentine street. The facade of the church con- 
sists of three bays resting on dark green marble columns 
with Corinthian capitals, and the portico contains a number 
of tombs and architectural fragments of early date. The 
interior has been completely modernized, but the Renaissance 
choir and the small cupola constructed by Brunelleschi still 
remain intact. The large palace to the west of the church for- 
merly belonged to the Frescobaldi family, and was afterwards 
the property of the canons of San Salvatore, or so-called Scope- 
tini. 

On the south side of the Borgo, almost opposite this church, 
is the old Tower of the Ramagliati, which in 1830 was 
decorated by its owner with a group of the Annunciation, a 
fine work of Luca della Robbia, which shows to good effect 
against the old stone wall. 

San Lorenzo. — The Piazza di San Lorenzo is a small square, 
where a humble market of cheap and tawdry goods, of old 
books and of second-hand clothes is held daily. At the corner 
of the neighbouring Via dei Ginori is the white marble pedestal 
with a good relief which affords a base for the Statue of 
Giovanni delle Bande Nere, the father of Cosimo dei Medici, 
first Grand-Duke of Tuscany. The statue itself, an indifferent 
work of that mediocre genius. Baccio Bandinelli, has often 
given rise to hostile criticism. The western side of the 
piazza, where the ground gradually rises, is occupied by the 
unfinished fagade of the important Basilica of San Lorenzo, 
which in spite of its close connexion with one of the wealthiest 
and most artistic reigning families in Europe has always shown 
this pitiful naked front to the square. The Collegiate Church of 




PIAZZA AND CHURCH OF S. LORENZO 



P. 64 





STATUE OF LORENZO DEI MEDICI II TOMB OF GIULIANO DEI MEDICI 

p. -JO f- 6 9 

BY MICHELANGELO 
Iji New Sacristy of S. Lorenzo 



CHURCH OF S. LORENZO 65 

San Lorenzo is certainly of great antiquity, and is said to have 
been consecrated by S. Ambrose in or about the year 393, 
and apparently at one time it even served as the metropolitan 
church of Florence. In the fifteenth century this ancient 
church was almost in ruins, when it was decided to rebuild it, 
chiefly at the instigation of Giovanni di Bicci dei Medici, 
the father of Cosimo and Lorenzo. Seven other leading 
Florentine families subscribed in the work of restoration, but 
from that time onward the church and chapter of San Lorenzo 
have always been closely associated with the family of the 
Medici, whose palace is so near at hand. Brunelleschi was 
entrusted with the plans for the new basilica, but the Old 
Sacristy (Sagrestia Vecchia) was alone actually completed by 
him, the body of the edifice being the work of his successor 
Antonio Manetti, who in the main followed Brunelleschi's 
design. The building is in the form of a Latin cross with a 
low cupola at the point of intersection. In 15 16 Leo X com- 
missioned Michelangelo to erect a fagade worthy of the 
church, but this project was never carried out, although the 
master lost much of his time in quarrying marble for the 
purpose. Michelangelo's design for this facade is said to be 
still in existence, and it is most strange that none of the 
Medici ever seems to have taken any further interest in carry- 
ing the work to a successful conclusion. The New Sacristy, 
on the north side, balancing Brunelleschi's earlier building, 
is a most celebrated work of Michelangelo, and was erected 
at the command of Clement VII, whilst the huge domed 
Cappella dei Medici, or Grand-Ducal mausoleum, to the west 
was added at the suggestion of Cosimo I, and completed 
under his successors. The bell-tower was erected in 1740 
at the expense of Anna-Maria dei Medici, Electress Palatine, 
the last descendant of her House. Built at various dates the 
whole mass of S. -Lorenzo exhibits an irregular but singularly 
picturesque appearance, especially when viewed from the 
corner of Via dei Gori at the angle of the Palazzo Medici 
itself. Palace and church together contain endless reminis- 
cences of the wealth, power, taste, and history of this re- 
markable family. 

The interior with its lines of Corinthian columns is spacious 
and grand, but singularly cold and bare, owing chiefly to the 
presence of the sad-coloured pietra serena so freely used in 
pillars and cornices. The flat ceiling is cassetted in white 

5 



66 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

and gold, and contains the Medici shield frequently repeated. 
Elaborate services are held in this church during Holy Week 
and the great festivals of the Church. In the second chapel 
on the right is the Gothic Monument with a reclining effigy 
of the musician Filippo Landini (fifteenth century). Near 
the entrance to the right transept is the Tomb of Pietro 
Benovenuti of Arezzo, the painter (d. 1844). 

In the right transept is the Chapel of the Sacrament with 
a fine marble Tabernacle by Desiderio da Settignano, one of 
the best examples of its kind. In the same chapel is the plain 
red porphyry sarcophagus surmounted by the Grand- Ducal 
crown of Tuscany, which serves as tomb for Anna-Carolina 
of Saxony (d. 1832), first wife of the last Grand-Duke 
Leopold II. To the left of this chapel is the modern Monu- 
ment to Bernardo Cennini, the first Florentine printer (d. 
1 471). Before the high altar, which is richly inlaid with 
coloured Florentine pietra dura work, is the simple Tomb of 
Cosimo dei Medici, "il Vecchio," bearing the proud inscrip- 
tion, Cosmus Medices hie situs est Decreto Publico Pater 
Patriae Vixit annos LXXV Menses III Dies XV. The 
monument itself consists of a circular space inlaid with 
antique coloured marbles, marking the place of actual inter- 
ment in the crypt below. In the left transept the Cappella 
Martelli contains the modern Monuinent to Donate i 'to, a fine 
work by R. Romanelli (1896). The Altar-piece is a good 
Annunciation with a predella of scenes from the life of S. 
Nicholas of Bari, by Filippo Lippi. The Crucifix above is 
by Benvenuto Cellini. In this chapel is also preserved the 
curious Marble To7nb in the form of a cradle, made by 
Donatello for a member of the Martelli family. 

In the nave, opposite the high altar, are the two celebrated 
Pulpits, or Ambones, designed for this basilica by Donatello 
in his old age, but executed by his pupil Bertoldo. They 
rest on marble pillars, and contain a number of elaborate 
scenes in bronze representing the Passion and the Resur- 
rection of our Lord. Close by, against the wall of the nave, 
is a beautiful Cantoria, or singing gallery, of various coloured 
marbles inlaid with enamels. The large Fresco of the 
Martyrdom of S. Lawrence on the wall beside it is by 
Angelo Bronzino. 

The famous Old Sacristy is entered from the left transept. 
This structure, consisting of a square chamber with a 



SACRISTY OF S. LORENZO 67 

polygonal dome supported on Corinthian pilasters with a 
domed recess for the altar, was erected by Brunelleschi 
before the other portions of the basilica. The bas-reliefs, 
the medallions with the four Evangelists, and the ornate 
doorways were added by Donatello. In the small cupola 
above the altar is a curious allegorical painting of the sun, 
moon, and planets. In the centre of the sacristy, below the 
table, is the simple but graceful Monument of the Parents of 
Cosimo il Vecchio, Giovanni and Picarda dei Medici, which 
was executed by Donatello at the suggestion of Cosimo 
himself. There are a few pictures on the walls, including 
one of SS. Lawrence, Stephen, and Leonard in the middle 
of the right wall, dated 151 1, and probably by Mainardi ; 
also a Nativity, on the north wall, a good work by 
RafTaellino del Garbo (?). 

The bronze doors leading to the lavatorium are by 
Donatello, who is also credited with the design for the 
handsome marble screen before the altar. Near the entrance- 
door is the magnificent Monument to Giovanni and Piero 
dei Medici, sons of Cosimo il Vecchio, which was erected 
by Andrea Verrocchio at the instance of Lorenzo il Magnifico 
and his younger brother Giuliano in 1472. It consists of a 
splendid sarcophagus of red porphyry adorned with lions' 
gambs and festoons of foliage in bronze. The bronze 
cabling above the urn is a remarkably fine specimen of 
fifteenth-century metal-work. The Bust of San Lorenzo 
over the entrance door is by Donatello. 

[The entrance to the New Sacristy and the Tombs of the 
Medici is now usually made from the Old Sacristy. Fee of 
1 fr. The former entrance in the adjoining Piazza Madonna 
is now closed.] 

The domed Mausoleum of the Medici, or Cappella dei 
Principi, a grandiose erection intended to serve as a 
mortuary chapel for the first Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 
Cosimo dei Medici, and his successors on the throne, was 
begun in 1604 by Matteo Negretti from designs afforded by 
Giovanni dei Medici, a natural son of Cosimo I. The vast 
building is sombre and imposing in the extreme, although 
the modern gaudy paintings by Benvenuti in the cupola and 
the tall glaring ugly windows contrast ill with its prevailing 
air of gloom. The original design for the building, showing 
a roof decorated with gold stars on a blue ground and 



68 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

with small circular windows, hangs near the entrance of the 
mausoleum and is well worth inspection. To those who 
care for the study of rare and beautiful marbles and the 
art of ftietra dura, this somewhat despised building will 
prove a veritable " sermon in stones " ; for there scarcely 
exists any species of marble or granite which is not included 
somewhere in the decoration of this costly charnel-house of 
the splendour-loving Medici. Along the walls are ranged 
six colossal sarcophagi of granite surmounted by grand- 
ducal crowns, but only two, those of Ferdinand I and of 
Cosimo II, possess their intended bronze-gilt effigies, which 
are by Gian-Bologna and Tacca respectively. The hand- 
some but unfinished pavement is wholly of coloured marbles. 
The recess was once occupied by the altar, a gorgeous work 
in ftietra dura, but long since removed and its various 
jewelled ornaments transported to the Gem Room of the 
Uffizi Gallery. Above the level of the pavement is inserted 
a series of coats-of-arms of the chief towns of Tuscany, 
composed of the finest and rarest of marbles inlaid with 
coral, crystal, cornelian, amethyst, and other precious stones. 
Those of Florence with the giglio, of Arezzo with the horse, 
and of Pisa with the floriated cross are specially noticeable 
amongst these splendid specimens of civic heraldry. The 
sum of 22,000,000 lire, or nearly 1,000,000 pounds sterling, 
is said to have been expended by the Medici on this monu- 
ment of dismal pomp and pride, the completion of which 
was always very dear to the heart of the foolish old Anna- 
Maria dei Medici, Electress Palatine. 

In the crypt below are buried certain members of the Grand- 
Ducal House, and also the princes of the House of Lorraine. 

The New Sacristy, one of the most celebrated shrines of 
Renaissance art in all Italy, was erected by Michelangelo 
for Giulio dei Medici, Pope Clement VII, between the years 
1524 and 1534, to serve as a memorial chapel for monuments 
of Giuliano the Younger, Lorenzo Duke of Urbino, Lorenzo il 
Magnifico, and Giuliano the Elder, the two latter being the 
parents respectively of the two Medicean popes Leo X and 
Clement himself. The work was interrupted by the pro- 
clamation of the Florentine Republic in 1527, but on Clement 
extending full pardon and grace to Michelangelo for the part 
he had recently taken in the political troubles of Florence, 
the master in 1531 again took the work in hand, " being 



MEDICI TOMBS 69 

moved thereto," says his biographer Condivi, "more by fear 
of the Pope than by love for the Medici ". With Clement's 
death in 1 534 the work was abruptly suspended ; nor could the 
Grand-Duke Cosimo I induce the master to complete his half- 
finished commission which was finally undertaken by Vasari. 
The result is that we see, as it were, merely the skeleton of 
the truly grand conception aimed at by Michelangelo. The 
result of Clement's premature decease and of his artist's 
escape from an uncongenial task, is therefore that to-day we 
possess only the chilly and bare but perfectly proportioned 
apartment, covered with apparently meaningless niches, 
cornices, and brackets, which cry aloud for their intended 
pieces of statuary, and disfigured by the blank wall-spaces 
which were meant to glow with frescoes from the master's 
own hand or with graceful arabesques from the brush of that 
prince of decorators, Giovanni da Udine. Consequently, a 
first inspection of this famous building with its whitewashed 
walls, its cold white marble statues, and its dreary columns 
and niches of ftietra serena seems to strike a chill and a 
sense of disappointment into the mind of the visitor. 

Roughly speaking, the New Sacristy of Michelangelo 
follows the architectural lines of the Old Sacristy by Brunel- 
leschi, to which it forms a pendant. Only two out of the four 
intended monuments were ever completed, namely, those to 
Lorenzo and Giuliano dei Medici, whilst no memorial exists 
to the builder of this splendid fabric, the unpopular and 
unlucky Clement VII. The white marble monument to 
Giuliano (right), the younger brother of Leo X, created Duke 
of Nemours by Francis I of France, consists of Giuliano's 
effigy in the garb of a Roman general with baton in hand 
seated in a niche disproportionately low for his height. 
Guarding the sarcophagus below are the famous Statues 
of Day and Night, the former unfinished. The beautiful 
female figure of Night, distinguished by the mask, the star, 
and the owl, was at once made the subject of a celebrated 
quatrain by the poet Gian-Battista Strozzi, a quotation of 
which seems inseparable from every mention of this monu- 
ment : — 

La Notte, che tu viedi in si dolci atti 
Dormire, fu da un angelo scolpita 
In questo sasso ; e perche dorme, ha vita. 
Destala, se no'l credi, e parleratti. 



70 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

(The sleeping Night imprisoned in this stone 
The wondrous work of angel hands is shown ; 
A sleeping, yet a living form is she ; 
Wake her, and she will truly answer thee.) 

To this elegant conceit the master made answer in verse 
of a most enigmatical nature : — 

Grato m'e il sonno, e piu l'esser di sasso, 
Mentre che il danno e la vergogna dura. 
Non veder, non sentir, m'e gran ventura. 
Pero non mi destar, deh ! parla basso. 

(Grateful this sleep in stony guise secure, 
So long as tyranny and shame endure ; 
Hearing and seeing gladly I forego; 
So trouble not my sleep, but whisper low.) 

Facing the monument to Giuliano, is the yet more celebrated 
memorial to the young Lorenzo dei Medici, Duke of Urbino. 
Seated in his niche the worthless Medici, who might have 
aspired to become Machiavelli's hero-tyrant risen to deliver 
Italy from the barbarians, the original of the great writer's 
Prince, keeps an attitude of profound meditation, so that this 
statue has very appropriately gained the epithet of // 
Pensieroso, or the Thinker. The head rests on the left 
hand, with the face in shadow, giving a remarkable air of 
mystery to the whole figure. 

There from age to age 
Two ghosts are sitting on their sepulchres. 
That is the Duke Lorenzo ; mark him well. 
He meditates, his head upon his hand. 
What from beneath his helm-like bonnet scowls ? 
Is it a face or but an eyeless skull ? 
'Tis lost in shade, yet like the basilisk 
It fascinates and is intolerable. 
His mien is noble, most majestical. 

Though rather hackneyed, these lines from Samuel Rogers' 
once-popular poem of " Italy " give a really good idea of the 
impression conveyed to a sensitive mind by an inspection of 
these magnificent tombs with their figures of the rather feeble 
Giuliano the Good and the idealized form of the dissolute 
father of Queen Catherine de Medicis of France. Below the 
statue of Lorenzo dei Medici are the attendant marble alle- 
gorical Statues of Dawn and Evening, the male figure in this 



^s 



LAURENTIAN LIBRARY 71 

case also being left unfinished by Michelangelo. Much specu- 
lation has arisen over the mystical meaning that Michelangelo 
is said to have infused into these four allegorical creatures of 
the hours of light and darkness ; but it is highly probable 
that the period of tyranny and pestilence through which 
Florence was passing during the reign of Clement VII 
operated strongly on the master, who had then been compelled 
to labour unwillingly at these monuments of the victorious 
and detested Medici. 

The marble altar is a beautiful work, opposite which is an 
erection supporting a Madonna and Child, in an unfinished 
state, but considered one of the master's best productions. The 
Statues of SS. Cosmo and Damiano, on either side of the 
Virgin, were the work of Michelangelo's assistants, Mon- 
torsoli and Raffaello da Montelupo. Below this spot repose 
the remains of the brothers Giuliano and Lorenzo dei Medici, 
whose coffins were exhumed in 1895. The body of the evil 
Alessandro, Duke of Florence, was discovered in 1875 to have 
been interred in the sarcophagus of the young Lorenzo, Duke 
of Urbino. 

Laurentian Library {Biblioteca Laurenztana). — Close 
to the facade of San Lorenzo a doorway on the left leads 
into the cloisters of San Lorenzo. (Ring the bell and the 
custodian will admit.) The first cloister, where the canons 
of the church have their residences, has two arcaded storeys, 
whilst the central space is prettily laid out as a garden. 
Below, in the dark north-west angle, is the statue of the 
learned historian Paolo Giovio, or Jovius, Bishop of Nocera, 
the biographer of many of the famous Italians of the Re- 
naissance, who died in Florence in 1552. Near this statue 
a stone stairway leads to the upper storey of the cloisters, 
whence is to be obtained a fine view of the Duomo and the 
towers of the city. On the right is the entrance to the 
Laurentian Library, the most important library in Florence, 
and one of the most valuable and interesting in Europe. 
The present structure was built by Michelangelo for Cle- 
ment VII at various times during that unlucky pontiff's 
reign (1523-34), and completed under Cosimo I by Vasari. 
The vestibule contains a triple staircase in pietra serena, and 
is considered a fine example of the master's architectural 
skill, although the original design was slightly altered by 
Vasari. The library itself is a long, lofty, and beautifully 



72 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

proportioned room, lighted by large windows filled with 
stained glass by Giovanni da Udine, w T ho assisted Michel- 
angelo both here and in the New Sacristy. The carved 
wooden ceiling is handsome, and also the eighty-eight wooden 
cabinets ranged the length of the chamber to hold the MSS. 
deserve attention. The flooring, composed of red tiles with 
white sgraffiti^ was designed by Tribolo. The general effect 
of this vast chamber is rich and harmonious in the extreme, 
an ideal library. 

The nucleus of the library itself, containing some 10,000 
Greek, Oriental, and Latin MSS., was first collected by 
Cosimo il Vecchio, whose connexion with the court of Con- 
stantinople gave him special opportunities for the acquiring 
of valuable MSS. in the Greek tongue. At the expulsion of 
the three sons of Lorenzo dei Medici in 1494, this splendid 
library was seized by the Republic after narrowly escaping 
destruction or dispersal from a Florentine mob. The Re- 
public sold the collection to the friars of San Marco, who in 
their turn generously sold it again to its rightful owner, 
Cardinal Giovanni dei Medici, the future Leo X, in 1508. 
After Leo's death, his cousin Clement VII restored the library, 
now considerably increased in bulk and value, to Florence, 
and also commissioned Michelangelo to build the present 
edifice for its reception. Amongst its innumerable literary 
treasures we may mention the following : — 

1. The famous copy of the Pandects of 'Justinian, which 
was brought from Amalfi by the Pisans in the twelfth century, 
and from Pisa removed to Florence in 141 1. As the chief 
existing source of Roman law, this manuscript was always 
regarded with special devotion and jealousy by its possessors 
for the time being, and was treated like a most holy relic by 
the scholars of the Renaissance. 

2. The Medicean Vergil, taken hence by the French but 
restored in 1816. One of the earliest MSS. of the poet con- 
taining numerous notes by the Consul Apronianus in the fifth 
century. 

3. The Bible, an eighth-century copy made by the Saxon 
monk Galfridus of Wearmouth. 

4. The unique Tacitus, said to be of the sixth century, 
which was bought by that papal Maecenas, Leo X, for 500 
golden florins, the only MS. which contains the first five books 
of the Amials. 



^ 



SAN MARCO 73 

5. The famous copy of Dante's Works, by an unknown 
scribe, who notes in the book the expulsion of the Duke of 
Athens in T343. 

6. The original MS. of the Autobiography of Benvenuto 
Cellini. 

7. The original MSS. of the Dramas of Vittorio A I fieri. 
There are numerous MSS. from the hands of Boccaccio, 

Petrarch, Politian, Ficino, and other famous humanists and 
scholars ; also some very fine illuminated missals and books 
of Hours. In short, this collection, made by generations of 
the Medici, surpasses in importance, if not in size, all other 
libraries in Italy save that of the Vatican. The small 
rotunda to the right of the chamber was constructed in 18 14 
to hold the fine library of Count Angiolo d'Elci, which con- 
tains a perfect collection of all the first editions of the classics. 
Another room, only opened by special permission of the 
librarian, has lately been added to contain the magnificent 
choral books belonging to the Duomo and certain of the 
literary treasures of the library. 

San Marco. — The Piazza di San Marco, a dusty square 
containing a small garden set with palmettos and flower-beds, 
lies between the Via Cavour and the Via Lamarmora. The 
long building on its south-eastern side is the Reale Istituto di 
Sticdi Superiorly built on the site of the stables and lion-house 
of Cosimo I. The north-eastern side of the piazza is occupied 
by the former Dominican Church and Convent of San Marco, 
which together cover the space between the piazza and the Via 
della Dogana to the north-east. The exterior of this famous 
pile of buildings, one of the most famous historical monu- 
ments in all Italy, is far from being imposing, although the 
side of the convent abutting on the Via Lamarmora has a 
pretty little loggia. Yet from its historical memories, as well 
as from its numerous works of art, San Marco will probably 
appeal to many as the most fascinating of all the buildings 
of Florence. 

The Church, founded in the thirteenth century and practi- 
cally rebuilt by Michelozzo (1436-43), and again largely 
altered by Gian-Bologna and others in the sixteenth century, 
was with the adjacent monastery originally in the posses- 
sion of the Salvestrini, an offshoot of the great monastic 
House of Vallombrosa. Its commonplace fagade dates from 
the eighteenth century. The interior contains little of interest. 



74 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Over the entrance is a large Crucifix by Giotto, the figure 
being painted on a gold ground, and chiefly interesting on 
account of the popular tradition that it was owing to this 
very crucifix that the pupil Giotto came to be ranked as a 
greater genius than his master Cimabue, as Dante records 
in the " Paradise " : — 

Credette Cimabue nella pintura 

Tener lo campo, ed ora ha Giotto il grido, 

Si che la fama di colui oscura. 

Above the second altar in the right aisle is a Madonna 
with Saints by Fra Bartolommeo, and above the next altar 
on the same side, that of the Ricci Chapel, is an ancient 
mosaic of the eighth century, representing the Mater Miseri- 
cordice (Mother of Mercy), which was brought from the ruins 
of the old S. Peter's at Rome by Michelangelo. In the left 
aisle of the nave, between the second and third chapels, are 
buried the three humanists, Politian, Pico della Mirandola, 
and Girolamo Benivieni. The handsome sacristy, built by 
Michelozzo, contains an effigy in bronze of Sant' Antonino. 
To the left of the high altar is the Chapel of Sant' Antonino, 
the lofty arch of which supports a good statue of the Saint by 
Gian-Bologna, who also erected the chapel itself in 1588. It 
is richly adorned with frescoes by Passignano, Poccetti, Allori, 
and others. Those by Passignano in the ante-chapel are in- 
teresting from an historical point of view, since that on the 
right depicts the interior of San Marco in 1588 with the body 
of the Saint lying in state and with portraits of Averardo and 
Antonio Salviati, the founders of this chapel, kneeling amongst 
the crowd. On the left is shown the funeral procession of the 
Saint with the Grand-Duke Ferdinand I and the Duke of 
Mantua attending it in state. Beneath the altar is the bronze 
shrine of the Saint, a fine work by Gian-Bologna. 

The Monastery, now Museum, of San Marco (entrance, 1 
fr.) was conveyed to the Dominican Order under Pope Martin 
V, who suppressed the Order of the Salvestrini early in the 
fifteenth century. The chief patrons of the newly established 
convent were the two brothers, Cosimo dei Medici, founder of 
the senior branch of the House of Medici, whose legitimate 
line expired with Leo X in 1521, and Lorenzo dei Medici, 
ancestor of the junior or Grand-Ducal branch of that family. 
The historic palle or balls, the armorial bearings of the 




THE CLOISTER, MUSEUM OF SAX MARCO 

t- 75 



corridor with fra angelico s 

' madonna' 

Museum of Soui Marco 

f-77 





THE CORONATION' ( 

Mu 



THE VIRGIN, 

nm of San Mat 



BY FRA ANGELICO 



SAN MARCO 75 

Medici, are everywhere conspicuous at San Marco. The 
convent buildings were designed by Michelozzo, and were 
consecrated in great state by Pope Eugenius IV in 1436. 
From the time it passed into the hands of the Dominican 
friars, this convent played a most important part in the history 
of Florence. One of its earliest priors was the saintly An- 
tonino, afterwards Archbishop of Florence, whilst in 1489 the 
convent became the residence of the celebrated Fra Girolamo 
Savonarola of Ferrara, who was transferred hither from 
Bologna. In 1490 he was appointed prior, and under his rule 
San Marco rose to a position of the greatest eminence in 
Florentine politics. In spite of the convent's deep debt to the 
bounty and patronage of the Medici, Savonarola set himself 
and his friars to defy Lorenzo il Magnifico and to condemn 
his various illegal acts. The picturesque episode of the prior 
being summoned to attend the dying tyrant's bedside at 
Careggi in 1492 is well known, and rests on an authentic 
basis. At the expulsion of Lorenzo's three sons in November, 
! 1494, the young Cardinal Giovanni dei Medici, afterwards 
Pope Leo X, sought a refuge from the Florentine mob in this 
monastery, but its inmates, in spite of past Medicean bene- 
fits, ungraciously refused to admit him. With the decline of 
Savonarola's influence, the importance of the convent waned 
also, and on the night of Palm Sunday, 1498, the building was 
forcibly seized, and its prior was carried off from the midst of 
his trembling friars to the awful fate which eventually befell 
that ardent reformer in the following month of May. When 
the convent was suppressed, its buildings were happily pre- 
served as a museum, and though the changes of succeeding 
centuries have removed or destroyed many precious frescoes 
and memorials of the days of its short-lived glory, yet San 
Marco still remains a place of surpassing interest from its 
connexion with the holy Antonino and the fiery Savonarola, 
as well as a true shrine of art owing to its many valuable 
works by Fra Giovanni Angelico da Fiesole and Fra Bar- 
tolommeo, of whom the former laboured here between 1437 
and 1445, an d the latter became an inmate of the house shortly 
after the fall of Savonarola. 

The entrance door to the first cloister stands a little to the 
right of the facade of the church. The cloister itself, which 
is laid out as a small garden, is surrounded on three sides 
by the reception rooms of the monastery with the dormitories 



:, 



7 6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

upstairs, and on the fourth by the nave of the church. The 
lunettes of the cloister are adorned with a series of frescoes 
by Poccetti to illustrate the life of Sant' Antonino, the fifth 
on the right containing an interesting representation of the 
Duomo with its old facade. There are five frescoes in this 
court by Fra Angelico, the first and largest of which is that 
facing the entrance, S. Dominic at the Foot of the Cross. 
Above the door which leads to the sacristy of the church is 
S. Peter Martyr, wounded by the knife of his martyrdom 
and with finger on lip in allusion to the rule of silence in the 
Order. Over the door of the chapter-house is S. Dominic 
with book and scourge, to indicate the constant study and 
severe discipline of monastic life. At the entrance of the 
adjoining refectory is Christ with the wound-prints. At the 
far end of this side of the cloister, over the door of the former 
guest-house, or ospizio, is a beautiful fresco of the Saviour 
as a Pilgrim, being received by two Dominican friars. In 
the Ospizio itself has lately been placed a small collection of 
early Italian paintings of no special merit or interest. On 
the eastern side of the cloister is the former chapter-house, 
a large chamber containing the great fresco of the Crucifixion, 
a celebrated work by Fra Angelico, commissioned by Cosimo 
dei Medici in 1441. This large composition discloses the 
scene on Calvary, with Christ crucified between the penitent 
and impenitent thieves, whilst below are grouped the three 
Marys, SS. Mark, the Baptist, John the Divine, Lawrence, 
Cosmo, and Damiano (these three last being the especial 
protectors of the Medici), and with S. Dominic kneeling at 
the foot of the cross. To the left of the fresco a number of 
the leading saints includes the great Dominicans, Thomas 
Aquinas, and Peter Martyr. In the arc-shaped border are 
medallions containing prophets and sibyls ; whilst below is 
shown S. Dominic with sixteen celebrated members of his 
Order — saints, popes, cardinals, bishops, and doctors. 

The adjoining door leads, by way of the " Sala del Lavabo," 
containing a few unimportant pictures, to the Great Refectory, 
the farther wall of which is covered by the beautiful com- 
position of the so-called Provvidenza, or fresco of the Miracle 
of S. Dominic, whereby the Saint and his friars were supplied 
with food in a time of dearth by two angels, painted in 1 536 by 
Gian-Antonio Sogliano. Above is the Crucifixion attributed 
to Fra Bartolommeo. This spacious apartment also contains 



SAN MARCO 77 

a fine stone framework by Jacopo da Settignano (1439) and 
some pictures of no great interest. In the passage leading 
to the second cloister is the stairway, to the left of which 
is the Small Refectory, with a fine and much admired Last 
Supper, or Cenacolo, by Domenico Ghirlandajo, which is 
considerably damaged. 

At the top of the adjacent flight of covered stone stairs a 
door leads into the three corridors, which were the former 
dormitories of the monastery. The rough timber roof and 
the stone cells remain practically unchanged. Opposite 
the entrance is a celebrated fresco of the Annunciation 
by Fra Angelico, some of whose finest work is to be found 
in these dark passages and cells. This exquisite Annuncia- 
tion is faced by another specimen of that favourite subject 
in San Marco, S. Dominic at the Foot of the Cross. The 
corridors are divided into about forty cells, many of which 
are decorated with beautiful frescoes from the hand of 
Angelico. Beginning on the left, No. 1 has a Noli me 
t anger e ; No. 2 has an A7inunciation ; No. 6 has the Trans- 
figuration; and opposite, in the corridor itself, the Madonna 
Enthroned with Saints. No. 7 contains an Ecce Homo, 
being a curious representation of the scene in Pilate's house, 
wherein Christ is blindfolded and buffeted by unseen persons, 
whose hands only are made to appear. No. 8 has the Re- 
surrection with portraits of S. Catherine of Siena and that 
of the painter himself. No. 9 has the Coronation of the 
Virgin, perhaps the most graceful and spiritual of the whole 
series. 

At the end of the corridor is the little set of three rooms 
inhabited by Savonarola when Prior of S. Mark's, compris- 
ing Nos. 12, 13, 14 of the cells. The first of these contains a 
marble tablet recording the visit of the Medicean pope, Leo 
X, here in 1 5 16, and proclaiming his indulgence to all visitors 
who should enter the inner room of the former prior, who 
had been so barbarously executed by the Florentine Re- 
public during the exile of the Medici. There is also a modern 
Bust of Savonarola by Dupre. The two frescoes of the 
Madonna and that of the Walk to Emmans are by Fra 
Bartolommeo. On the wall is a copy of the curious old 
picture (of which the original hangs in the Palazzo Corsini) 
depicting the execution of Savonarola and two of his friars 
in the Piazza della Signoria in May, 1498. The adjoining 



78 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

cells, Nos. 13 and 14, contain various relics of the ill-fated 
prior. These include his writing-desk (an exact imitation of 
the original, which had fallen to pieces with age), wherein are 
preserved his crucifix and some of his manuscripts. Here 
is his chair, of a pattern familiar to all who visit Florence, 
which stands beside the desk. In a cabinet with a glass 
front are kept his hair-shirt of penitence, his rosary, and 
some pieces of the faggots used at his execution. The 
small Portrait by Fra Bartolommeo (?) is perhaps the best of 
the various likenesses of Savonarola extant. The shutters 
and iron-barred windows remain unaltered, and. there is 
no jarring note of modernity to mar the unspoiled aspect 
of these tiny rooms, which it is impossible to inspect with- 
out the deepest feelings of reverence and compassion for 
one of the most remarkable men produced by the Renais- 
sance. From the diminutive window of his study Savon- 
arola was wont to watch the great Lorenzo dei Medici 
patiently awaiting his convenience, as he sate below amongst 
the rose bushes in the cloister garden. From these small 
chambers the prior was later destined to emerge as practical 
master of Florence ; whilst but a little later still he was doomed 
to be dragged forth to his evil trial and fate by the fickle 
populace of the city that had once acclaimed him. 

The cells from this point to the head of the staircase on 
the left, formerly occupied by the novices, contain frescoes 
of no special interest, mostly consisting of the favourite sub- 
ject of S. Dominic beside the Cross, but all are the work of 
Fra Angelico or his assistants. The cell (No. 31) close to 
the Annunciation first mentioned, is known as " S. Antonino's 
Cell, 55 and has a fresco of Chris fs Descent into Hell, by Fra 
Angelico. Here are preserved numerous relics of the good 
Archbishop of Florence and former Prior of San Marco, 
among them being his Death-mask and a good Portrait in 
chalk by Fra Bartolommeo ; also some vestments and books. 
In the genealogical tree of the Dominican Order hanging 
on the wall, it will be noticed that the name of Savonarola 
has been almost obliterated by the kisses of those to whom 
his memory was dear. Cell No. 33 contains the exquisite 
Madonna delta Stella, or " of the Star, 55 removed hither from 
S. M. Novella, one of the best and most popular of Fra 
Angelico 5 s easel pictures, quite perfect in its brilliance of 
colouring, its simple piety and beauty of expression. On the 



mmiMmtii 







PORTRAIT OF SAVONAROLA 
From the painti)ig by Fra Bartolonimeo in the Museum 0/ San Marco 



P. 78 



SAN MARCO 79 

gradino below the picture appear the three Dominican saints 
— Dominic, Thomas Aquinas, and Peter Martyr. 

In the inner cell is another work by Fra Angelico (?), the 
Coronation of the Virgin, with a beautiful predella, also 
brought hither from S. M. Novella. The next cell, No. 34, 
possesses a third easel picture on panel by the same artist, 
the Annimciation, with the Adoration of the Magi below. 
No. 35 also has a fine fresco of the Last Supper by Fra 
Angelico. At the end of this corridor a small flight of steps 
leads to two rooms, cells Nos. 38 and 39, which were once 
occupied by Pope Eugenius IV at the time of the consecra- 
tion of San Marco. These are said to have been specially 
reserved for his own use by Cosimo dei Medici, and here he 
was wont to discuss public matters with S. Antonino, whose 
bust is also preserved here. The fresco of the Adoration of 
the Magi is by Fra Angelico, who was likewise in the habit 
of conversing here with Cosimo il Vecchio. The interesting 
Portrait of Cosimo was painted at a later date by Pontormo 
for Goro da Pistoja. 

To the left of the corridor, on returning hence, is the 
Library, a fine apartment designed by Michelozzo (1441) and 
originally filled with 400 valuable books through the bounty 
of Cosimo dei Medici. It contains a collection of illuminated 
missals, etc., from various sources. 

The second, or inner cloister, Chiostro di San Domenico, 
laid out as a garden, and containing a well and a statue of 
S. Dominic, was built by Michelozzo. From it can be obtained 
a good view of the church and of its picturesque little bell- 
turret, which still retains the historic bell that sounded the 
tocsin of alarm on the night of that eventful Palm Sunday in 
1498. This cloister, together with the rooms of the adjacent 
corridor, now houses the Museo del Centro, a recently formed 
collection, which contains a vast number of objects of archi- 
tectural or historical interest removed hither after the demoli- 
tion of the former Mercato Vecchio and the neighbouring 
streets that once constituted the Centro, or central and most 
ancient portion of Florence. As early as the middle of the 
last century schemes were set on foot for the removal of this 
insanitary but intensely interesting quarter of the city, and 
in spite of the protests of many distinguished citizens and 
artists, the Municipality of Florence decided to close the 
houses of this area with a view to destroy them by degrees 



8o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

and afterwards to rebuild the whole of the Mercato Vecchio 
and its surrounding streets and lanes. The work of demoli- 
tion was begun in 1884 and is scarcely finished at the present 
time (1910). Great care was taken to preserve everything 
of artistic or historical value that still existed in or near the 
Centro, with the result that the present collection of fragments 
was placed in this spot. The area razed to the ground in- 
cluded the old Market, the Ghetto, and several adjoining 
streets, which are now occupied by the present Piazza 
Vittorio-Emmanuele with its equestrian statue of the first 
King of Italy. The new archway spanning Via dei Strozzi 
and the arcades were also erected, and new streets, broad 
and airy, were built to take the place of the former maze of 
dingy lanes and courts. But, however much Florence may 
have gained from a sanitary point of view from this wholesale 
demolition, it must be admitted that from an artistic stand- 
point the new Centro leaves much to be desired, for nothing 
can exceed the dismal monotony of the huge new Piazza and 
the adjacent streets. It is to be regretted that the Munici- 
pality did not see its way to the rebuilding of its historic 
Centro in the fine old style of architecture, which is essentially 
Florentine, and yet at the same time lends itself admirably 
to the construction of the large modern palazzi, of which 
this quarter of the city is almost entirely composed. 

The Museo del Centro contains a large number of archi- 
tectural fragments of various dates, inscriptions, coats-of- 
arms, pillars, gothic mouldings, pieces of coloured terra-cotta, 
shrines, ironwork, etc. To those who wish to understand 
the early history of the development of Florentine life, a care- 
ful study of this rather melancholy collection of fragments 
preserved in the inner cloister of San Marco may prove most 
interesting and instructive, but for most persons visiting 
Florence for a short period, a cursory glance at this mass of 
" architectural orts and abjects " will probably prove, sufficient. 

In the neighbouring Via Cavour is the Pharmacy of the 
convent, where drugs are still procurable, and where are still 
preserved the fine old jars of glazed and coloured ware used 
in former days. 

Santa Maria del Carmine. — The church and suppressed 
monastery of the Carmelites stand at the southern end of the 
broad Piazza del Carmine in Oltr' Arno. The Church, dedi- 
cated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a massive structure of 






CHURCH OF THE CARMINE 81 

the fifteenth century, was almost wholly rebuilt after a fire in 
1 77 1. Fortunately the celebrated Brancacci Chapel, with its 
famous frescoes, as well as the sacristy, escaped the general 
conflagration. The Cappella Brancacci occupies the right 
transept of the existing building, its walls being covered with 
the Frescoes illustrating the life of S. Peter, which were begun 
here by Masolino in 1422, carried on by his pupil Masaccio 
till 1428, and finally completed by Filippino Lippi in 1484. 
The adornment of this chapel was originally commissioned 
by Felice Brancacci. Critics dispute everlastingly and with 
varied arguments over the respective portions of the decora- 
tion painted by Masolino and Masaccio ; and the exact 
attribution of certain of the frescoes still remains doubtful. 
It is sufficient to state here that these paintings were in the 
late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries considered a 
precious store-house of art by Perugino, Raphael, Michel- 
angelo, and other later and more advanced masters, who 
did not hesitate to profit by the skill displayed here by the 
earlier painters of the Cappella Brancacci. Apart from their 
artistic importance, the costumes, scenes, and architecture 
introduced render these frescoes particularly interesting to 
the student of Italian life in the fifteenth century. 

(The chapel itself is somewhat dark, and the best light is 
to be obtained about sunset.) 

On entering the chapel, high up to the right is the small 
fresco of the Temptation of Adam and Eve, which is certainly 
the work of Masolino, and according to some critics his sole 
contribution to these frescoes. It is the first in the upper of 
the two rows of subjects, and next to it is a large composition 
of the Healing of the Cripple at the Temple gate by SS. 
Peter and John, whilst in the same compartment, but with 
no apparent connexion with the last-mentioned incident, is 
the Raising of Tabitha (?). Both these works are attributed 
by Vasari to Masolino, but are now proclaimed by modern 
critics to be the work of his pupil Masaccio. Below the 
Adam and Eve is the Rescue of Peter from prison by Filip- 
pino Lippi, a painting that includes the graceful figure of a 
Florentine youth as the sleeping gaoler. The large fresco 
below the Raising of Tabitha (?) is by Filippino Lippi and 
represents two subjects, the Judgment Before the Emperor 
Nero, or the Proconsul, and the Crucifixion of the Saint 
6 



82 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

with his head downwards. The former composition contains 
several contemporary portraits ; thus the young man with 
flowing hair and small jaunty cap is presumably the artist 
Lippi himself, whilst the older man beside him with the 
conical head-dress is said to be Antonio Poliajuolo. Behind 
the altar are four pictures by Masaccio, also arranged in double 
rows, of which the uppermost on the right shows S. Peter 
bestowing Baptism. In this composition the naked youth, 
evidently shivering from his late immersion, is highly praised 
by Vasari as a good early example of the nude in art. Below 
it, SS. Peter and John Distributing A Irns. On the left side of 
the altar, S. Peter Preaching, with Carmelite monks listen- 
ing ; and below, SS. Peter and John Healing the Sick by 
their shadows. 

Above, on the left wall, the Expulsion of Adam and Eve 
fro7n Paradise by Masaccio, a masterly composition, imitated 
later by Raphael in the Logge of the Vatican. Below it is 
S. Paul visiting S. Peter in Prison by Filippino Lippi. On 
the same line by Masaccio (?), the Finding of the Tribute 
Money by S. Peter in the fish's mouth. Below, the Raising of 
the Child, in which the child himself and the ten persons sur- 
rounding him are by the later hand of Lippi ; but the subject 
of the painting (like everything else connected with these 
celebrated frescoes) has been disputed. It is sometimes called 
the Revival of Eutychus, who fell from a window through 
weariness during one of the Apostle's sermons, whilst others 
say it alludes to a miracle wrought by S. Peter on the son of 
Theophilus, Prince of Antioch, whom Simon Magus had 
failed to restore to life. The old man seated in a black dress 
to the left is said to represent Cosimo dei Medici ; the scholar 
with black cape and hat is Luigi Pulci the poet ; and the 
figure on the extreme left is Marco Soderini, father of the 
celebrated Gonfaloniere of Florence, who is buried in this 
church. In the corner of the fresco S. Peter is seen being 
adored by three kneeling Carmelite monks. 

Both from their innate charm of treatment and their in- 
tense value in the history of the development of Italian art, 
these frescoes rank amongst the most important works of the 
fifteenth century. 

Preserved at this altar is an ancient painting of the Virgin, 
of Greek origin, one of the many traditionally attributed to 



S. MARIA MADDALENA DEI PAZZI 83 

S. Luke. In the tribune behind the high altar is the Tomb 
of Piero Soderini by Benedetto da Rovezzano, the Gonfa- 
loniere of Florence, whose pitiless literary monument by 
Machiavelli 2 is, however, far better known than this erection 
of marble. The sacristy retains some remnants of frescoes 
by Spinello Aretino or by Jacopo da Casentino (?). The 
transept opposite the Brancacci Chapel contains the gor- 
geous altar and shrine of S. Andrea Corsini, Bishop of Fiesole 
(d. 1373), which were erected here in 1670 and decorated 
by Foggini and Luca Giordano. 

A door in the nave leads to the pretty little cloister of the 
former convent, once wholly covered with frescoes, but where- 
in only a few fragments of painting now remain, chief amongst 
them being a Madonna with the Donors by Giovanni da 
Milano. The former refectory opening on the cloister is 
ornamented by a Cenacolo^x Last Supper, by Alessandro 
Allori. m 

Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi. — This church and 
former Benedictine convent are situated at the angle formed by 
the broad Via della Colonna and the mediaeval Via dei Pinti, in 
which street is the entrance to the church and a cloister with 
a garden. The church was erected by Antonio da Sangallo 
in the sixteenth century, and contains two frescoes by Andrea 
del Sarto and some other works of art. The convent was 
the abode of the Florentine saint, Maria Maddalena, of the 
Pazzi family, a nun of the Carmelite Order who flourished 
1 566-1607. The chapter-house, which is entered at No. 3 
Via della Colonna, contains a celebrated Fresco by Perugino 
(entrance fee, 25 c). This work, executed between 1493 an( ^ 
1496, the finest fresco by this master, consists of three com- 
partments, in the central one of which is the Crucifixion, with 
SS. John and Benedict on the right and the Virgin and S. 
Bernard on the left. The beauty of the faces, the soft colour- 

1 La notte che morl Pier Soderini 
L'alma n'ando dell' Inferno alia bocca ; 
E Pluto le gridd : " Anima sciocca, 
Che Inferno ? — Va' nel limbo dei bambini ! " 

(Died Soderini ; and that very night 
Down to Hell's portal flew that simple soul, 
Where Pluto cried, " Not here, O foolish sprite, 
Is room for thee ; of babes we take no toll ! ") 



84 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

ing and the beautiful effects of landscape introduced make 
this work one of the most charming examples of the Umbrian 
school of painting. The fresco (to the left) of the Vision of 
S. Benedict is by a pupil of the master. 

Santa Maria Maggiore. — This church, of ancient founda- 
tion and restored early in the fourteenth century by Arnolfo 
di Cambio, stands at the angle of the Via dei Vecchietti 
and Via Cerretani in the most central portion of the town. 
It has a dilapidated Gothic portal and contains the tombs of 
Brunetto Latini (d. 1294), the master of Dante, and of Salvino 
degli Armati, the alleged first European inventor of spectacles, 
whose bust is preserved in the chapel to the left of the choir. 

Santa Maria Novella. — The Piazza of Santa Maria 
Novella, a long spacious piazza, is approached from the 
Ponte alia Carraja and the Lung' Arno by the Via dei Fossi. 
At its southern end is the Loggia di San Paolo, a graceful 
structure of the fifteenth centui 1 ^, attributed to Brunelleschi 
and decorated with a number of coloured terra-cotta me- 
dallions by Luca and Andrea della Robbia, the most interest- 
ing of which is the relief in the lunette of the door within the 
arcade, representing the meeting of SS. Francis and Dominic. 
The Gothic tabernacle at the corner of the neighbouring Via 
della Scala contains a much injured fresco by Francesco 
Fiorentino (fourteenth century). No. 21 in this piazza, once 
the Pitti mansion, was the house occupied by Garibaldi in 
1867 before setting out from Florence on his expedition 
against Rome, which ended so disastrously at the battle of 
Mentana. This piazza, once a favourite spot for preaching 
by S. Peter Martyr in the thirteenth century, was long the 
chief scene of Florentine pageants and festivities, the chariot 
races on S. John's Eve, inaugurated by the Grand-Duke 
Cosimo I, being held there. In these races, commonly called 
after the chief prize, the Palio dei Cocchi, the competing 
chariots were, in imitation of the ancient Roman games, 
distinguished by the four colours of blue, red, green, and 
white. The two obelisks in the piazza, erected in 1608, 
which served as goals on these occasions, consist of purple 
marble pyramids resting on bronze tortoises and crowned 
with bronze gigli. In the spring of 1903 this piazza was 
selected as a suitable ground for a tournament and a revival 
of the old game of calcio, a species of mediaeval football. 
To the south-east of the piazza, in the neighbouring Via delle 





IL j 




1: fMha 




JfeH* 






-I; 



CHURCH OF S. MARIA NOVELLA 85 

Belle Donne, is the picturesque old granite column sur- 
mounted by a crucifix known as the Croce al Trebbio, dating 
fro: 1 the fourteenth century. 

The northern end of the piazza is occupied by the hand- 
some facade of the Church of Santa Maria Novella, the 
chief Dominican edifice in Florence, and a fine example of 
Tuscan-Gothic architecture. It was begun in 1278 from 
the designs of the Dominican friars Fra Sisto, Fra Ristoro, 
and Fra Giovanni da Campi, and was continued by Jacopo 
Talenti, who completed the body of the church about the 
year 1350. It is 325 ft. long, 93 ft. wide, and 202 ft. broad 
at the transepts. The slender campanile with its series of 
arcaded windows is attributed to Jacopo Talenti in 1334. The 
ornate facade of black and white marbles is chiefly the work 
of Leon-Battista Alberti, completed at the expense of Gio- 
vanni Rucellai (1470), whose heraldic emblem of an antique 
ship in full sail can be observed in the scheme of Alberti's 
decoration. The central door is a singularly fine specimen 
of the architect's skill and taste with its tall columns of black 
marble and its delicate frieze. Above are two volutes (one 
still remaining unfinished) in wheel-like patterns, the first 
example of this method of connecting the nave with the 
adjoining aisles. The astronomical instruments below the 
volutes were added by Padre Ignazio Danti, court as- 
tronomer to Cosimo I, in 1572. The small enclosed space 
to the right of the fagade contains a number of arched and 
vaulted tombs (avelli) constructed about 1300, which once 
served as burying-places for the leading families of Florence. 

The interior, which (like Santa Croce) is practically T- 
shaped, rests on twelve pointed arches and has a plain groined 
roof. It is wholly daubed over with dismal drab-coloured 
plaster, and is therefore darker than Santa Croce, though of 
better proportions. Until the middle of the last century S. M. 
Novella was the least altered and spoiled of the Florentine 
churches, but during the past century it underwent a most 
drastic and destructive restoration, the flooring with its 
numerous fine monuments being torn up and the effigies 
removed from the pillars of the nave. In spite of much 
vandalism, however, the church still remains one of the 
most interesting in all Italy, and contains a great number 
of important paintings and monuments, chiefly of the 
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. 



86 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Entrance Wall. — Fine rose window, the best of the many 
stained-glass windows in the church, depicting the Coronation 
of the Virgin. Over the central door, a fine Crucifix painted 
by Giotto (?), below which is a Mosaic of the Holy Family 
in the stable at Bethlehem. To the left, a Fresco of the 
Trinity, the Virgin and S. John with two donors, a much 
injured but important work by Masaccio. To the right, 
the Annunciation and other scenes by Agnolo Gaddi (?). 

The nave is lined on either side by baroque altars placed 
here by Vasari in the sixteenth century and adorned with 
large paintings of the later Italian schools by Ligozzi, 
Naldini, etc. It retains, however, certain Gothic and Renais- 
sance monuments, notably that of the Blessed Villana, 
opposite the first pillar on the right. This tomb and its 
effigy are by Bernardo Rossellino, and commemorate a 
young Florentine widow who renounced the world and 
passed a life of piety and good works under the supervision 
of the friars of S. M. Novella. Villana herself died in 1350, 
but this monument was only erected by her grandson so 
late as 145 1. It shows the Saint sleeping beneath a canopy 
upheld by angels, whilst overhead celestial hands bear a' 
radiant crown. In the nave also is the Pulpit, with marble 
bas-reliefs gilded, depicting scenes from the life of the 
Virgin. It is the work of Maestro Lazzaro, who is said to 
have received his designs direct from Brunelleschi. The 
door near the fifth altar on the right leads to the Cappella 
delta Pura, built by the Rucellai family in 1474, with white 
marble decorations and an ancient Byzantine crucifix. Hence 
a doorway leads into the little cloister of the Avelli, or arcaded 
tombs, already mentioned. 

Right Transept. — To the right, wooden Bust of San? 
A?itonino with a lamp suspended before it, sculptured soon 
after his death in 1459. Above this bust, the beautiful 
Monument of Tedice AHotti, Bishop of Fiesole (d. 1336) 
by Tino da Camaino. Beyond the doorway, Effigy of 
Bishop Cavalcanti of Orvieto (d. 1279), who took an active 
part in the foundation of this church. The Madonna in 
the black and white marble niche above is of the school 
of Andrea Pisano. Below, Monument with a fresco portrait 
of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who died whilst attending 
the Council of Florence in 1440. 

A double flight of stone steps leads hence to the dark 



CHURCH OF S. MARIA NOVELLA 87 

Cappella Rucellai containing the tomb of Paolo Rucellai. 
To the right of the altar is the historic picture on panel, 
once universally attributed to Cimabue, of the Virgin and 
Child Enthroned and surrounded by six adoring angels, 
a work that was long regarded as famous in the story of 
the early development of Italian art. For this picture, which 
appears so crude and dingy to-day, was, according to popular 
tradition, the very one that the citizens of Florence carried in 
joyful procession from the artist's studio in the street near 
Santa Croce, which became known in consequence as the 
Borgo Allegri. Unhappily, the beautiful legend has been 
dissipated by the researches of modern critics, and the 
picture is now attributed positively to Duccio di Buoninsegna 
of Siena, who executed it in 1285. The Rucellai Chapel 
likewise contains over the altar a fifteenth-century Sienese 
painting of the Archangel, Tobias, and SS. Vincent and 
Catherine, besides an Amiunciation by Neri di Bicci, and a 
Martyrdom of S. Catherine, a fine work by Bugiardini. 

The adjoining Chapel of the Sacrament, with a fine iron 
grille, possesses some much injured frescoes of the school of 
Giotto. To the right of the high altar is the handsome 
Chapel of Filippo Strozzi the Elder, a perfect specimen of 
Renaissance decoration. It contains the tomb of its founder, 
Filippo Strozzi, who was also the builder of the far-famed Strozzi 
Palace. It consists of a black marble sarcophagus with an 
exquisite medallion above it of the Virgin and Worshipping 
Angels in white marble, the work of Benedetto da Majano. 
Filippo's bust, which formerly crowned the tomb, was sold 
to the Louvre in 1878. The walls are covered with lovely 
frescoes full of classical conceits by Filippino Lippi, painted 
between 1487 and 1 502, which depict (on right) S. Philip Exor- 
cising a Dragon, and, above it, the Sainfs Execictio?i by the 
priests of the dragon ; on the left, S. John Recalling Dru- 
siana to Life, and, above it, the Sainfs Martyrdom in boil- 
ing oil. On the ceiling are the Four Patriarchs — Adam, 
Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. SS. Philip and John are also 
represented in the stained glass of the window. 

Behind the tasteless modern high altar, under which rest 
the relics of the Blessed John of Salerno, first Dominican 
apostle in Florence, is the Choir with handsome stalls and 
lectern of inlaid wood by Baccio d'Agnolo. The walls of 
the choir are wholly covered with the series of Frescoes which 



SS FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Domenico Ghirlandajo, assisted by his brothers Davide and 
Benedetto and his pupil Mainardi, executed between the 
years i486 and 1490 for Giovanni Tornabuoni, to replace some 
earlier paintings by Andrea Orcagna. These constitute the 
master's most popular, if not his best work, for which he was 
paid the sum of 1200 golden florins by his patron. The 
subjects, which should be inspected by morning light, are 
fourteen in number, besides the four Evangelists on the 
vaulting and the Saints in the embrasures of the window. 
From the vast number of contemporary portraits introduced 
and the constant delineation of Florentine dress and manners 
in the days of Lorenzo il Magnifico, these frescoes possess 
an historical as well as an artistic importance. On the right, 
the Story of S. John the Baptist in seven sections. Begin- 
ning with the lowest section, the Angel Appears to Zacha- 
rias in the Temple, a large composition which is said to 
include no fewer than thirty-one contemporary portraits of 
Florentine citizens, amongst them being (in the left-hand 
corner) the humanist Marsilio Ficino in the dress of a canon ; 
Cristoforo Landini, the famous commentator on Dante's 
works, in a red cloak with a black band ; Politian, with the 
raised hand ; and the learned Gentile dei Becchi, Bishop of 
Arezzo. On the opposite side of the fresco appear members 
of the family of Tornabuoni, cousins of Lorenzo dei Medici, 
whose mother had been Lucrezia Tornabuoni ; (2) The 
Salutation ; (3) the Birth of the Baptist ; (4) the Infant 
John, Named by the Dumb Zacharias ; (5) Preaching of 
John; (6) Baptism in the Jordan ; (7) the Dancing of the 
Daughter of Herodias. To the left, on the opposite wall ( 1 ) 
the Childless Joachim being Expelled from the Temple, a 
group which includes several portraits as well as those of the 
painter himself, dressed in a red cloak and with a hand on 
his hip ; his father, Tommaso, in a scarlet head-dress ; his 
pupil, Mainardi, and his brother, Davide, with a red cap. 
To the left of the same painting are portraits of Lorenzo 
il Magnifico with two of his sons, and his cousin, Giovanni 
Tornabuoni, Ghirlandajo's patron. (2) The Birth of the 
Virgin, a charming composition with a group of children 
playing on musical instruments, in chiaroscuro ; (3) the Pre- 
sentation of the Virgin; (4) Her Marriage ; (5) the Adora- 
tion of the Magi; (6) Massacre of the Innocents ; (7) Death 
and Assumption of the Virgi?i. 



CHURCH OF S. MARIA NOVELLA 89 

The frescoes beside the window represent scenes from the 
lives of SS. Dominic, Peter Martyr, and other Dominican 
saints ; whilst in the lowest compartments appear portraits of 
Giovanni Tornabuoni and his wife, Francesca Pitti, who died 
young in childbirth. These frescoes, of which many are 
greatly damaged, have recently been judiciously cleaned. 
The tall window has its triple light rilled with good stained 
glass of the same date as the paintings, and in it can 
easily be recognized the coat-of-arms of the Tornabuoni 
family — Per saltire vert and or, a lion rampant counter- 
changed. 

In the first chapel to the left of the high altar, known as 
the Cappella dei Gondi, is preserved the magnificent Crucifix, 
made by Brunelleschi in rivalry with Donatello. On the 
pavement is the fine bronze Effigy of Fra Leonardo Dati, 
Grand Master of the Dominicans, by Ghiberti (1426). The 
adjoining Cappella Gaddi is a good example of Dosio's semi- 
classical style of architecture, and is enriched with bas-reliefs 
by Giovanni dalP Opera. Its altar-piece, the Raising of 
Jairus" Daughter, is by Bronzino. 

At this point a staircase leads to the Cappella Strozzi, 
which forms a pendant to that of the Rucellai in the south 
transept opposite. It is decorated with a number of early 
frescoes, which are of considerable importance in the study 
of the progress of Florentine art. On the right wall is Hell 
by Leonardo Orcagna, wherein the artist follows the topo- 
graphy of Dante's " Inferno " with the seven circles. On 
the left wall is Paradise by Andrea Orcagna, a large com- 
position (completely re-painted) crowded with angelic figures 
possessing much sweetness and grace. The fresco on the 
altar wall representing the Last Judg?nent is also by Andrea. 
The Altarpiece is likewise by Andrea Orcagna, and repre- 
sents Christ, the Virgin, S. Thomas Aquinas, and S. Peter 
in the centre, with SS. Michael, Lawrence, Catherine, and 
Paul on either side. The Predella in three sections shows 
a friar celebrating Mass ; Christ rescuing S. Peter on the 
Sea of Galilee ; and the contest between angels and demons 
for the soul of a dead king. The artist's name in Gothic 
characters is inscribed round the central panel of the work, 
which was painted for Tommaso Strozzi in 1357. In the 
small crypt below this chapel rest the remains of the Blessed 
Alessio Strozzi, the family saint of this once powerful House, 



9 o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

In the vault below the staircase is a fresco of the Dead 
Christ, surrounded by saints, attributed to Giottino. 

In the south transept is the entrance to the Sacristy, a 
spacious vaulted Gothic chamber built by Jacopo Talenti in 
1350. Its walls are lined with fine walnut presses contain- 
ing some ancient vestments. Three of the reliquaries of the 
church, containing exquisite paintings by Fra Angelico of 
Fiesole, are shown amongst the church plate. To the right 
of the doorway is a splendid lavabo of coloured terra-cotta, 
the work of Giovanni della Robbia (1497). In this room is 
preserved a curious historical relic in the sole existing speci- 
men of the twelve banners emblazoned with a red cross which 
S. Peter Martyr distributed to the military captains of the 
"Compagnia del Bigallo " on Ascension Day, 1244, for the 
purpose of making an attack on the Paterini heretics. Near 
the entrance of the sacristy is a small granite Vase of Etruscan 
design supported by a marble figure, an admired work of 
Michelangelo. 

This church is one of the most popular and well-attended 
in Florence, and during Advent and Lent distinguished 
preachers of the Dominican Order are engaged to fill its 
pulpit. Special services, often on a magnificent scale, take 
place here during the months of May and October, which 
are dedicated to the Virgin. On very grand occasions the 
whole of this vast building is completely decorated with fine 
old crimson brocade and hung with handsome crystal chan- 
deliers of antique pattern. But from a musical point of view 
the services held here are not to be compared with those at 
the Annunziata. 

At the foot of the staircase of the Strozzi Chapel is the 
entrance to the western cloisters (fee of 25 c. to 50 c. to the 
brother who opens the door). Below a flight of steps is the 
Sepolcreto, a small courtyard with some early frescoes and 
a work by the Delia Robbia. In the corridor to the right, 
near the steps, are four small frescoes illustrating the story 
of Joachim and Anna, extravagantly praised by Ruskin and 
formerly attributed to Giotto. From this cloister the fine 
Chiostro Verde is entered to the left. This Green Cloister 
takes its name not from the grass and roses of its enclosed 
garden but from the terra verde, or different shades of green 
and brown used by Paolo Uccello and Dello in painting a 
series of frescoes upon its four walls, which though in an ad- 



THE SPANISH CHAPEL 91 

vanced state of decay still present a good many interesting 
details to those who care to study them carefully. They 
represent scenes from the history of the Old Testament. 
The cloister itself, with its circular arches and Gothic columns, 
is a charmingly peaceful retreat, commanding a good view of 
the campanile with its delicate arcaded windows. To the 
west of the Chiostro Verde lies the Grand Cloister {Chios tro 
Grande), which is unfortunately always kept closed. It is 
the largest cloister in Florence, containing fifty-fouf arches 
and has its walls covered with a number of frescoes, the work 
of Cigoli, Poccetti, Alessandro Allori, and other artists of the 
schools of the early seventeenth century. Many of the sub- 
jects depicted in the lunettes have a distinct historical value. 
In the Green Cloister is the entrance to the celebrated 
Spanish Chapel {Cappella degli Spagnuoli), built in 1326 
and so named from the circumstance that its use was ceded 
to the Spanish members of the suite of Eleonora of Toledo, 
wife of the Grand-Duke Cosimo I in 1566. The chapel, a 
plain lofty structure with handsome Gothic windows opening 
on the cloisters and with a simple groined roof, was erected 
from the design of Fra Jacopo. Every available portion 
of wall space is covered with the famous frescoes, which 
on the authority of Vasari have hitherto been attributed to 
Simone Martini and Taddeo Gaddi but of which the author- 
ship is constantly denied or disputed. It is therefore safer 
to allude to these works as valuable and interesting ex- 
amples of the art of the fourteenth century, whoever may 
have been their actual painters. The large fresco on the 
right wall is intended to represent from a Dominican stand- 
point the Church Militant and Triumphant, and contains 
over 300 figures, amongst which are believed to appear many 
interesting portraits. The Pope and the Emperor, as the 
ecclesiastical and secular heads of the Christian world, appear 
seated as guardians of the Church, here symbolized by 
the Cathedral of Florence, not as actually erected but as 
originally conceived. Beside the Emperor are princes 
and councillors ; beside the Pope, cardinals, prelates, priests, 
nuns, and friars. Heretics are represented under the guise 
of a pack of wolves harried by the faithful black and white 
dogs (" Domini canes ") of the Dominican Order. S. Dominic 
meanwhile points the way to heaven to the sheep that have 
escaped the onslaught of the wolves. Above "is shown the 



92 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

joy of the celestial host at the salvation of the faithful and 
of repentant sinners, with Christ in glory in the heights above. 
If, as Vasari informs us, the most prominent persons in this 
immense fresco are in reality contemporary portraits, this 
painting is indeed of extraordinary historical value, but nearly 
all Vasari's information concerning this fresco has been dis- 
credited by modern critics. The Pope is Benedict XI ; the 
Emperor is Albert ; the King beside him is Philippe le Bel 
of France ; the Cardinal is Niccolo di Cambio, etc. The 
handsome figure in a white dress with a hood is usually said 
to be intended for Cimabue (but is now adjudged to be Walter 
de Brienne, Duke of Athens) ; and that next to him for the 
artist Simone, who has been so long credited with the exe- 
cution of this work. The man in yellow is said to be the 
architect Arnolfo di Cambio, and the warrior beside him 
Count Guido of Poppi. The portrait of Petrarch in a white 
hood and red cloak was, according to Vasari, painted from 
life ; and even the female, with a green dress sprinkled with 
violets and with a flame at her throat, is called Laura. The 
vast and intricate composition is supposed to have been 
planned by the Dominican scholar, Fra Jacopo Passavanti, 
for the guidance of the artist employed. 

Opposite, on the left wall, is Theological Philosophy or 
the Triumph of S. Thomas Aqui?ias. The great doctor of 
the Dominican Order is displayed aloft on a throne surrounded 
by angels, patriarchs, and saints, whilst at his feet crouch the 
three abashed false leaders of heresy, Arius, Sabellius, and 
Averrhoes. In the lower portion of the fresco are fourteen 
female figures intended to personify the sciences and virtues, 
beneath which are depicted fourteen human personages who 
are believed to have excelled in the particular sciences 
or virtues painted above them. (From left to right of the 
spectator) : (i) Civil Law, with the Emperor Justinian ; (2) 
Canon Law, with a pope, perhaps a portrait of Innocent III ; 
(3) Speculative Theology, with Peter Lombard ; (4) Practical 
Theology, with Dionysius the Areopagite ; (5) Domestic 
Theology, with Boethius ; (6) Mystic Theology, with S. 
Basil (?) ; (7) Polemic Theology, with S. Augustine of 
Hippo ; (8) Arithmetic, with Pythagoras ; (9) Geometry, with 
Euclid; (10) Astronomy, with Zoroaster or Ptolemy; (11) 
Music, with Tubal-cain ; (12) Logic, with Aristotle; (13) 
Rhetoric, with Cicero, who is for some unknown reason re- 



S. MINIATO AL MONTE 93 

presented with three hands; (14) Grammar, with Priscian 
or Donatus. 

On the entrance wall, much damaged frescoes of scenes 
from the lives of SS. -Dominic and Peter Martyr. On the 
east wall, beside the altar recess, the Crucifixion (left) and 
the Descent into Hell (right). In the former composition, 
the figure of the centurion Longinus with his spear is said 
possibly to represent Walter de Brienne, Duke of Athens. 
On the vaulting, designs attributed to Antonio Veneziano, 
one of Gaddi's pupils, of the Resurrection ; of Peter's Rescue 
by our Lord on the Sea of Galilee ; the Ascension of our 
Lord; and the Inspiration of the Virgin. The apse con- 
tains decorations of the late sixteenth century by Allori, 
Poccetti, and other artists. 

The extensive conventual buildings of Santa Maria Novella 
have been secularized, but the Pharmacy (entrance in the 
Via della Scala) is still kept in working order, so that it is 
often visited by persons wishing to purchase drugs (amongst 
them the renowned Alkermes), perfumes, packets of orris- 
root powder, etc., which are all compounded according to the 
old Dominican recipes. The pharmacy contains a small hall 
covered with frescoes of the fourteenth century attributed to 
Spinello Aretino and some other remains of early paintings. 
In the days of the Republic visitors of importance to Florence 
were frequently lodged at the expense of the State in a suite 
of rooms in this spacious convent, amongst such guests being 
the Popes Martin V, Eugenius IV, Pius II, and Leo X, and 
the Emperor Frederic II. 

The Church of San Miniato al Monte can be reached 
either by driving along the beautiful Viale dei Colli with its 
many views of the city, or else by walking through the Porta 
San Miniato and ascending the steep Via Cruris ^ one of the 
most ancient "Ways of the Cross" in all Italy. This latter 
flight of steps, set with old crosses and cypress-trees at 
intervals, traverses the new Viale a little below the Franciscan 
Church of San Salvatore al Monte in the midst of a grove of 
cypresses. This church, which was erected by Cronaca in 
1480 at the expense of Castello Quaratesi, was greatly 
admired by Michelangelo, who used to name this broad, well- 
proportioned building la bella villanella, " the fair country- 
maid," in contrast with its neighbour the more beautiful San 
Miniato, which he was wont to speak of as la bella cittadina. 



94 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The interior contains some old stained glass, the tomb of the 
founder, and some Delia Robbia ornaments, but there is 
nothing of especial interest to detain the visitor. Amongst 
the celebrated Florentines buried here-are Tanai dei Nerli and 
his son Gian-Battista Nerli, who wrote a history of Florence 
(d. 1574}. Below the church is the broad expanse of the 
Piazzale Michelangelo, overlooking the city and hills, and 
distinguished by its huge bronze group of Michelangelo's 
David and the four figures copied from the Medici tombs in 
San Lorenzo. 

A little further up the hill is the famous Church of San 
Miniato, which dominates the city from its lofty and con- 
spicuous position. Its foundation is said to date from the 
reign of Decius in the third century of the Christian era, 
when S. Miniatus, king of Armenia, is believed to have 
suffered martyrdom at this spot. The present building, 
however, owns no portion earlier than the opening years of 
the eleventh century, when Bishop Hildebrand of Florence 
in 10 1 3 erected the existing fine basilica with the assistance 
of the Emperor Henry II and the Empress Cunegunda. It 
is a splendid example of Tuscan-Romanesque architecture, 
and one of the most venerable and interesting churches in all 
Italy. The black and white marble facade, which is so 
familiar a sight from the streets of Florence, is adorned with 
most interesting mosaics of the thirteenth century, represent- 
ing Christ with the Virgin and S. Miniatus. On the gable 
above is a bronze eagle, the emblem of the guild of the 
Calimala, patrons of the church and convent, which was 
set up in 1401. The interior consists of a nave and aisles 
supported on twelve columns, coated with ancient stucco in 
imitation of polished marble, and on four triple piers. The 
choir is considerably raised above the boc!^ of the church 
and is approached by a double staircase. Below the choir 
is the fine spacious crypt, upheld by twenty-eight columns of 
marble, several of them taken from ancient buildings. The 
pavement of mosaic, arranged so as to form a broad band 
stretching from the west door to the altar, is of black and 
white marble laid in intricate patterns of roses, lions, griffins, 
etc. It also contains the signs of the Zodiac, as in the 
Baptistery. This curious pavement dates, according to an 
inscription, from 1207. The walls of the aisles retain some 
much damaged frescoes of the fourteenth century. Below 



■ 


L - 




m I 




1 I * 






If V 


far- 




a i 



CHURCH OF S. MINIATO 95 

the raised choir is the Chapel of the Crucifix, so called because 
it was erected by Piero dei Medici in 1448 after designs of 
Michelozzo in order to contain the miraculous crucifix of San 
Giovanni Gualberto, founder of the Vallombrosan Order, 
which is now preserved in Santa Trinita. This famous relic 
is said to have once stood in a small chapel in a thick wood, 
which formerly covered this hill, and according to the legend 
it was this very crucifix that bent its head to bestow the kiss 
of peace on San Giovanni Gualberto as he kneeled at this 
spot, after forgiving the murderer of his brother and sparing 
his life. The altar is surmounted by the eagles of the guild 
of the Calimala. The vaulting of this shrine is in glazed 
rosettes of white on a blue ground by Luca della Robbia, and 
the whole is enclosed by an elegant grille of wrought-iron. The 
Tabernacle, depicting the Annunciation, with smaller pictures 
of San Miniato and San Giovanni Gualberto, is by an unknown 
artist, perhaps Spinello Aretino. Above the altar is the choir, 
consisting of ante-choir, choir, and tribune. In front is the 
space reserved for the neophytes, separated by a marble screen 
from the choir itself. This screen, the pulpit, and the lectern 
are beautiful examples of incrusted marble decoration in the 
most fantastic patterns. The apse itself is lighted, or rather 
filled with a subdued radiance, by five windows composed of 
thin slabs of transparent alabaster, a rare form of decoration 
to be observed also in the Cathedral of Orvieto. On the 
semi-circular vault of the tribune is a mosaic dated 1297, 
representing the Virgin and S. John, with San Miniato in 
regal robes offering his crown to the Saviour. The ancient 
altar remains still in situ at this spot. Near the altar to 
the right is an interesting painting on wood of S. Giovanni 
Gualberto, by a fourteenth-century Florentine painter. 

Below the raised choir is the beautiful Crypt, a special 
feature of this wonderful church. Under its altar are pre- 
served the relics of the martyred San Miniato and his com- 
panions. The vaulting was covered with painting by Taddeo 
Gaddi (?) in 1341, but little of his decorative work remains in- 
tact. Unfortunately, both the crypt and the nave have been 
used for interment during the last century, so that the many 
tasteless tombstones go far to spoil the antique appearance 
of the body of the church. In the nave, to the left of the 
entrance, is the monument of the Tuscan poet, Giuseppe 
Giusti, who died in Florence in 1850 at the age of 41. 



96 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

On the north side of the nave is the exceedingly lovely 
Chapel of S. James, one of the most exquisite shrines of 
Renaissance art in all Italy. It was erected in or about the 
year 1460 to serve as the receptacle of Antonio Rossellino's 
tomb of the Cardinal Prince James, a youthful ecclesiastic 
of the royal House of Portugal, who died in Florence in 1459 
whilst travelling to Germany as papal legate. To the right 
is the Monument oi the young cardinal by Rossellino, whereon 
the youth is represented lying in peaceful slumber on a bier 
surrounded by fruit, flowers, and foliage of great charm and 
variety. Above the bier are angels and a medallion with the 
Virgin and Child, a singularly pleasing example of the artist's 
work. The roof of the chapel is adorned with four beautiful 
angels by Luca and Andrea della Robbia, some of these 
masters' most admired works. The four figures in the angles 
of the vaulting represent Moderation, Prudence, Fortitude, 
and Chastity, the four virtues of the deceased prelate. On 
the left wall is an Annunciation by Alessio Baldovinetti, the 
best preserved of his frescoes in this chapel. The picture 
for the altar, painted by the brothers Pollajuolo, is now in the 
Uffizi, but the Angels in fresco, a fine work by Antonio Pollaj- 
uolo, still remain over the altar. The pavement is of opus 
alexandrinum, composed of rare antique marbles. 

The Sacristy is entered from the choir, and is a lofty vaulted 
Gothic chamber built in 1387 and almost wholly covered with 
a series of good frescoes by Spinello Aretino, executed at the 
expense of a Florentine merchant, one Benedetto degli Alberti, 
a member of the well-known Alberti family. The frescoes 
relate the story of S. Benedict, and form a complete epitome 
of the acts and legends connected with his life. The intarsia 
work of the wooden presses below is worthy of notice. 

The Tower of the church, an unfinished work by Baccio 
d'Agnolo in 15 19, is a square Renaissance structure, more 
interesting than beautiful, for it is around this sturdy belfry 
that the story of the siege of Florence in 1 529 largely centres. 
At the approach of the invading army of the Prince of Orange, 
the rulers of the Republic decided to fortify the hill and 
convent of San Miniato, for which purpose they entrusted 
the defence of the city on the eastern side to Michelangelo, 
appointing him Commissary-General of the Republican forces 
of defence. The great artist at once cleared the- convent 
and threw up fortifications (afterwards enlarged by Cosimo I) 




CHURCH OF S. MINIATO AL MONTE 



CHURCH OF OGNISSANTI 97 

to the east of the church, which still exist. In order to save 
the tower of the church from destruction, he had its eastern 
side encased in mattresses, and thus saved Baccio d'Agnolo's 
new structure from the Spanish cannon, although the tower 
still bears traces of fire and of injury from the shells thrown. 
After the surrender of the city, the great architect, according 
to tradition, sought a refuge in the belfry of the church of 
San Niccolo near the Porta San Miniato, till Clement VII 
extended his forgiveness to him. 

The Convent, with embattled walls adjoining the church, 
was originally built by Archbishop Mozzi of Florence in 
1234, after which it became the property of the Benedictine 
monks who held the church. From them it passed to the 
Olivetans, and later to the Jesuits, till their suppression in 
1773. Both church and convent have undergone a most 
thorough and needed restoration in recent years. 

The adjacent Camfto Santo, or graveyard, is the most 
fashionable in Florence, and visitors may find some of its 
curious tombs and miniature chapels of interest. In any case, 
every one ought to ascend the platform to the south of the 
graveyard to enjoy the magnificent and extensive view, one 
of the noblest in Italy, extending over the city, the Val 
d'Arno, and the encircling Apennines. On the heights to the 
south-west overlooking the town is the huge machicolated 
structure with a tall tower recently erected on the site of the 
celebrated Torre del Gallo, with its memories of Galileo, of 
which the late " Ouida " in " Pascarel " has left so charming 
and sympathetic a description. 

The Church of Ogni Santi, or San Salvadore, situated in 
the Borgo Ognissanti, originally belonging to the " Padri 
Umiliati " in the thirteenth century, dates principally from 
1554, but was largely altered in the succeeding century by 
Matteo Nigretti for the Franciscan friars, who had owned it 
since the sixteenth century. The fagade which abuts on the 
Piazza Manin contains a beautiful lunette over its principal 
doorway of the Coronation of the Virgin, a late work by 
Giovanni della Robbia. To the left of this, on the wall, is 
to be seen one of the few existing relics of the brief reign of 
Duke Alessandro dei Medici, in the ducal coronet and plumes 
in coloured terra-cotta with an inscription calling for a long 
life to that tyrant. The belfry to the east of the church is a 
picturesque structure. The interior of Ogni Santi is rich in 



98 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

colour, gilding and marbles, but it possesses comparatively few 
works of art. Over the second altar to the right are some 
celebrated frescoes which were only discovered by the removal 
of a large altar-piece in 1898. One of these, that of the 
Trinity, dates from the sixteenth century ; the other is a good 
work by Domenico Ghirlandajo, with a most interesting 
history attached to it, for according to Vasari, it was painted 
expressly for the Vespucci family, whose houses were situated 
near the church in the adjoining Borgo. Above in the lunette 
is the Virgin sheltering the various members of the Vespucci 
family underneath her mantle, amongst whom the youth with 
the long .dark hair and round face to the right may be recog- 
nized as the celebrated Amerigo Vespucci, from whom the 
actual name of America derives. On the pedestal supporting 
the Virgin are the words Misericordice Domini plena est 
Terra. The lower portion of Ghirlandajo's painting represents 
the Descent from the Cross, with the Virgin, S. Mary Mag- 
dalen, S. Joseph of Arimathea, and six Saints. On the wall- 
space between the third and fourth chapels is a fresco by 
Botticelli of ^. Augustine praying, a good specimen of this 
master's work. The high altar is richly adorned with marble 
and bronze ornaments, and in a reliquary behind the altar is 
preserved the chief treasure of the church — the robe worn 
by S. Francis of Assisi at the time he received the " Stigmata ". 
In the left transept is the entrance to the sacristy, which 
contains a good fresco of the Crucifixion by Gerini (?), a 
pupil of Taddeo Gaddi, and a painted crucifix attributed by 
Vasari to Giotto himself. In the left aisle of the nave, 
exactly opposite the fresco already mentioned by Botticelli, 
is a fresco of S. Jerome in his study with his lion beside him, 
an early work by Domenico Ghirlandajo, executed in 1480. 

The entrance to the first cloister of the former Franciscan 
convent is to the left of the fagade of the church. The small 
cloister is covered with paintings by Ligozzi, Giovanni da San 
Giovanni, etc., depicting scenes from the life of S. Francis and 
portraits of distinguished ecclesiastics of the Franciscan 
Order. From this cloister the visitor enters the old Refectory, 
a long, handsome chamber containing a few architectural 
fragments and early paintings, whilst its eastern wall is covered 
by Ghirlandajo's Fresco of the Last Supper, painted in 1480, 
somewhat inferior to the same artist's Cenacolo in San Marco, 
but a fine piece of work (entrance fee, 25 c). 



S. ONOFRIO— OR S. MICHELE 99 

Sanf Onofrio, Convent of. — The suppressed Convent of 
Sant 5 Onofrio at No. 58 in the Via Faenza contains a small 
collection of pictures of no great value, whilst in the former 
refectory of the convent is the Cenacolo di Fuligno, a fine 
fresco of the Last Supper which is commonly attributed to 
Raphael, since the inscription Raf. Urb. 1505, on the collar 
of S. Thomas, is generally considered sufficient evidence to 
prove this to be an early work of the great master. How- 
ever, the authorship of the fresco is still a matter of dispute 
amongst critics. Of the pictures preserved here that of 
the Angel Gabriel, by Carlo Dolci, is the best (entrance 
fee, 50 c). 

Or San Michele. — This celebrated church derives its 
name from the former Chapel of San Michele in Orto (in the 
garden), or in Horreo (in the granary), which in the thirteenth 
century stood here in a loggia of brick with a wooden roof. 
In 1336 Taddeo Gaddi, or perhaps Talenti, rebuilt the 
loggia and the rooms above it, in order to form a place more 
worthy of the much venerated picture of the Madonna which 
is still preserved here, and also to serve as a suitable and ample 
corn-exchange. In the terrible year of the plague, 1348, of 
which Boccaccio has left us so vivid an account, the offerings 
at this popular shrine amounted to no less a sum than 3500 
golden florins, whereupon the Signoria determined to turn the 
loggia into a church, and for this purpose Andrea Orcagna (?) 
filled in the open spaces, whilst Simone di Franceso Talenti 
added the richly decorated Gothic windows that are so 
marked a feature of the present building. The upper 
storeys were used as granaries so late as the sixteenth 
century, when Cosimo I ordered the archives to be placed 
here. 

The lower storey of this square, box-like erection, part chapel 
and part corn-exchange, was embellished at different times 
with a series of bronze or marble statues set in ornate niches 
that were placed here by the various Guilds of Florence with 
their emblems in the medallions above, some of these 
heraldic achievements being the work of the Delia Robbia. 
Beginning with the eastern side of the church, abutting on 
the Via Calzaioli, and proceeding towards the left, the follow- 
ing bronze statues are to be noticed : (1) 5. Luke, by Gian- 
Bologna, the latest of the series, erected in 1601 by the 
advocates and notaries, (2) The unbelieving 5. T/iomas 



ioo FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

feeling the wound-prints of Christ, a splendid composition 
begun by Donatello, but chiefly executed by Andrea Verroc- 
chio, the gift of the Guild of Merchants (Magistrate) delta 
Mercanzia) in 1483. (3) S.John the Baptist, by Ghiberti, for 
the Guild of Wool Merchants, or Arte di Calimala, placed 
herein 141 4. On the south side, (4) S.John the Divine, by 
Baccio da Montelupo, in 151 5, made for the members of the 
Guild of Silk, or Arte delta Seta, the special patrons of Or 
San Michele. The empty niche adjoining was formerly 
filled by a statue of the Madonna and Child by Simone 
Ferrucci, which was transferred into the interior of the 
church in 1630 on account of the supposed miraculous powers 
of this Madonna. The small Madonna and Child in the 
medallion above are by Luca della Robbia. (5) S. James, 
attributed to Nanni di Banco, in the niche reserved for the 
Furriers. (6) S. Mark, by Donatello, one of this master's 
finest and most satisfactory productions : Marco, fterchl non 
mi parlif is the salutation said to have been addressed to 
this statue by Michelangelo, who also added that such a 
noble countenance would be sufficient to vouch for the truth 
contained in his Gospel. It was erected for the Guild of 
Flax Merchants. On the west facade which has the entrance, 
(7) S. Eloy, or Eligius, patron of Jewellers and Blacksmiths, 
by Nanni di Banco. (8) S. Stephen, by Ghiberti, for the 
Guild of Wool-traders, or Arte della Lana, erected in 1428 
and perhaps the best of the statues adorning the church. 
(9) S. Matthew, by Ghiberti also, erected in 1420 with the 
help of Michelozzo, who also designed its graceful niche for 
the Arte del Canibio. On the north side, (10) a modern 
bronze, replacing the famous statue of S. George by 
Donatello, removed to the National Museum of the Bar- 
gello. It had been executed for the Guild of Sword-makers 
and Armourers. The marble bas-relief by Donatello 
below the niche shows the Saint slaying the dragon. (11) 
The next niche contains four Saints by Nanni di Banco, for 
the four Guilds of Smiths, Carpenters, Masons, and Sculptors. 
The group consists of SS. Claudius, Nicostratus, Sinjronius, 
and Castorius, " I Quattro Incoronati," that were thrust 
into this cramped space by the action of Donatello, Nanni's 
master. The fine bas-relief below shows the interior of a 
Florentine sculptor's workshop. (12) S. Philip, also by 
Nanni di Banco, was the donation of the Guild of Shoe- 



* 



^ 





OR S. MICHELE 101 

makers. (13) S. Peter, by Donatello, an inferior work, exe- 
cuted for the Guild of Butchers (beccai), whose ancient guild- 
house with its emblem of the goat (beccd) stands opposite this 
side of the church. 

The interior of the church, having been once a loggia, con- 
sists of a plain rectangle with a nave divided by massy square 
columns, and has a vaulted ceiling, its walls and pillars being 
still partially covered with the frescoes executed here by 
Jacopo da Casentino, a pupil of Taddeo Gaddi. The upper 
lights of the intricate traceried windows are filled with richly 
coloured stained glass, so that the whole effect of this unique 
church, though dimly lit, is harmonious and reverential in a 
high degree. The first altar on the right contains an ancient 
wooden crucifix, interesting as having frequently assisted in 
the devotions of the good Bishop Antonino and of Savonarola. 
Over the principal altar, that of S. Anna, whose festival of 
26 July, 1343, witnessed the expulsion of the Duke of Athens, 
is a marble group of the Virgin and Child with S. Anna, by 
Francesco da Sangallo, and to the left of this the Statue of 
the Madonna, by Simone Ferrucci da Fiesole, which on ac- 
count of miraculous powers was removed hither from its niche 
outside the church. 

In the south-west angle of the church, in a dark and most 
unsuitable position for so splendid a monument, stands the 
famous Shrine of Andrea Orcagna, " a miracle of loveliness," 
one of the most valuable and perfect examples of Italian 
Gothic decoration in existence. This elaborate work was 
begun after the plague of 1348, and took its architect and 
his assistants some fourteen years to complete ; a circum- 
stance not to be wondered at, when the close finish and the 
delicate ornaments of this marvellous shrine are carefully 
inspected. Built with the object of forming a suitable setting 
for the miraculous picture already mentioned of the Virgin 
and Child with attendant angels, believed to have been painted 
in 1347 by Bernardo Daddi, to replace an older painting by 
Ugolino da Siena, this structure consists of a square, railed- 
in space which contains an immense turreted Gothic taber- 
nacle, surmounted by a dome and crowned by an image of the 
Archangel Michael. In the principal niche facing the church 
is set Daddi's sacred picture, which is usually covered with 
drapery that the sacristan will remove only after lighting the 
tapers on the altar below, according to an ancient and 



io* FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

honourable custom ordained by the Captains of the Company 
of S. Michael. The whole shrine with its screen is one 
harmonious whole of the most exquisite and glorious decora- 
tions in bronze, mosaic, and marbles. It is lavishly covered 
with sculpture, the three bas-reliefs in front of the altar 
representing the Annunciation and Marriage of the Virgin 
with the central panel depicting Hope. The various bas- 
reliefs that cover the lower portion of the shrine represent 
other incidents in the story of the life of the Virgin and are 
all of consummate beauty. On the east side of the shrine is 
a large relief of the Death and Assumption of the Virgin, 
below which is the artist's inscription in Gothic characters, 
Andrea Cionis Pictor Florentinus Oratorii Archi?nagister 
Extitit Hujus MCCCLIX. Alternating with the scenes 
from the Life of the Madonna are the theological and 
cardinal virtues, whilst at the angles of the shrine appear 
figures of prophets, angels, and evangelists. Of special beauty 
is the marble screen surrounding the shrine with its Gothic 
tracery in bronze, whilst its light elegant columns at the 
corners are surmounted by angels bearing candlesticks in 
their hands. This magnificent piece of work, which is so 
unfortunately placed in this dimly-lit corner of Or San 
Michele, requires an unusual amount of careful attention 
to understand its extraordinary richness and delicacy of 
workmanship, but probably no object of art in all Florence 
better repays a close inspection. 

Opposite the entrance door of the church is the picturesque 
ancient Guild House of the Wool Combers, the Arte della 
Lana, once the most important and wealthy of the civic cor- 
porations of Florence. The building, whereon are conspicu- 
ously displayed the Lamb and Cross of the old Florentine 
guild, is joined by a flying arch to the upper chamber over 
the church and has recently been restored to something of 
its original appearance, having been purchased by the Italian 
Dante Society (Societa Dantesca) for its head-quarters in 
Florence. This society, which was chiefly founded through 
the efforts of the late Michelangelo Gaetani, Duke of 
Sermoneta, now possesses a fine set of rooms in this build- 
ing, as well as the spacious vaulted chamber above the 
church, which is often used for literary meetings and lectures. 
The Shrine with the ancient painting of the Madonna attri- 
buted to Jacopo da Casentino, enclosed within an ironwork 



S. SALVI— THE SCALZO 103 

grille at the corner of the building, was opened by Queen 
Margherita of Italy in state in 1905 in the presence of a vast 
multitude. This ancient painting formerly stood at one of 
the corners of the Old Market, and had interesting but 
melancholy associations from having been the Madonna 
which condemned criminals saw and implored on their way 
to the place of execution. The coats-of-arms in colour sur- 
rounding it represent the various heads of Florentine 
families who subscribed to the restoration of this historic 
building. 

San Salvi. — The Church and former Convent of San Salvi 
lie in the eastern suburbs outside the Barriera Aretina, and 
can be reached from the Piazza del Duomo by means of the 
Rovezzano tram-line, which passes within three minutes' walk 
of the buildings, stopping at a point called the Madonnone, 
where is a shrine of the Madonna with a fourteenth-century 
fresco. The buildings of the former Vallombrosan convent 
have long been secularized, but the Refectory and some ad- 
joining rooms have been converted into a small museum 
(entrance fee, 50 a). There is nothing of importance, how- 
ever, except the truly glorious Cenacolo, or fresco of the Last 
Supper, by Andrea del Sarto, on the wall of the refectory, 
executed for the Abbot of San Salvi in 1 5 19. This is one of 
the master's finest works, and is considered to rank second 
only in point of grace and execution to the famous Last 
Supper of Leonardo da Vinci at Milan. At the back of the 
museum stands the conventual church with a pretty portico 
and tower. At San Salvi the large building near the rail- 
way is the chief Manicomio, or Lunatic Asylum of Florence. 

Scalzo, Cloister of the. — The Scalzo, or former cloister of 
the bare-footed friars, stands in the Via Cavourat the farther 
extremity of the fine Renaissance palace (formerly Palazzo 
Medici) which is now the Court of Assize. The tiny cloister 
with its valuable frescoes has been converted into a small 
museum (entrance fee, 25 a). To those who admire the 
genius of Andrea del Sarto, the Scalzo will prove of particu- 
lar interest, after inspecting the master's works in the Church 
of the Annunziata hard by. The series of frescoes in grisaille, 
which have suffered greatly from damp and exposure in the 
past, represent sixteen scenes from the life of S. John the 
Baptist, together with four groups of emblematic figures of 
the Cardinal Virtues near the two doors of the cloister. The 



io 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

execution of these paintings occupied the artist nine years, 
from 1517-26; but during his brief absence at the court 
of Francis I of France, his pupil Franciabigio contributed 
two of the series, namely, the Departure of the Baptist 
from his home (No. 5) and the Meeting of the Baptist and 
the Saviour (No. 6). The most popular of these paintings 
are the Birth of the Baptist (No. 4), the Dance of the 
Daughter of Herodias (No. 15), and the beautiful group 
known as Charity, near the farther doorway. 

Santo Spirito. — This church, the chief seat of the Augus- 
tinians in Florence, stands on a raised stone platform with 
its unfinished facade in the Piazza Santo Spirito and with its 
eastern side on the broad Via del Presto. It is the largest 
church in Oltr' Arno, and undoubtedly the best of the 
Renaissance churches of Florence. The present building 
was begun in 1433 from designs of Brunelleschi, who is said 
to have taken the little Basilica of Santi Apostoli for his 
model. The heads of numerous leading Florentine families 
undertook to bear the expense, notably the Capponi, whose 
coat-of-arms — Per bend, argent and sable — and also those of 
other donors are to be seen set in the long nave above the 
windows facing the Via del Presto. In 1480 the half-finished 
church was burnt to the ground during the fetes held here 
in honour of Galeazzo- Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, but the 
original plan of Brunelleschi was happily adhered to, though 
with some modifications, so that this church still remains one 
of the great architect's most imposing productions. It is 
cruciform in plan with a cupola at the point of intersection of 
the transepts. Its length is over 300 ft., and its breadth at 
the transepts is about 1 80 ft. The graceful campanile, so 
familiar an object from the Lung' Arno, was added by Baccio 
d'Agnolo about 15 16. 

The interior, with its harmonious proportions and its long 
lines of stone pillars with rounded arches, is singularly im- 
pressive, and is far more pleasing in its general effect than 
the Basilica of San Lorenzo by the same great architect. In 
the facade is the handsome circular stained-glass window 
with the subject of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, designed 
by Perugino (?). The many chapels of the lengthy nave offer 
little of interest, but those in the transepts and tribune con- 
tain numerous paintings and works of art that are worthy of 
close attention. The choir and high altar beneath the dome 




CHARITY 
From the fresco by slndrea del Sarto in the cloister of the Scalzo 



CHURCH OF S. SPIRITO 105 

are enclosed within a fine balustrade of coloured marbles and 
bronze, with statues of the Virgin, S. John, and six angels 
at its angles. It is a splendid though late work by Gian- 
Battista Michelozzi, and was completed in 1608. The altar 
and tabernacle above are composed of fine Florentine pietra 
dura work, and afford good specimens of this style of orna- 
ment. Lamps of silver and ornaments of bronze furnish the 
altar. Although of much later date than the church itself, 
this erection seems to harmonize admirably with the elegant 
but simple Renaissance architecture of the interior. 

The series of chapels in the transepts and tribune contains 
a number of interesting paintings, whilst many of the original 
picture-frames and altar-fronts of the fifteenth and sixteenth 
centuries remain here in situ. In the right transept, in the 
second chapel, is a picture by Francesco Botticini of S. 
Monica, mother of S. Augustine of Hippo, with Augustinian 
nuns kneeling before her — an interesting work, but difficult 
to inspect in so dark a corner. In the fifth chapel is a fine 
picture by Filippino Lippi, in an old frame of carved and 
gilded woodwork, of the Madonna Supported by SS. Nicholas, 
Catherine, and other Saints. This important picture was 
commissioned by Tanai dei Nerli, the bitter foe of Savonarola, 
and he and his wife are herein represented as kneeling on 
either side of the group. In the distance is a view of old 
Florence with the Porta San Frediano and the Nerli mansion, 
giving a good idea of this quarter of the city in the closing 
years of the fifteenth century. The sixth chapel contains a 
copy of Perugino's celebrated Vision of S. Bernard, which 
was formerly here, but was sold to the Munich Gallery in 
1829. The seventh chapel is one of the many belonging to 
the Capponi family, and holds the fine Renaissance marble 
Toinb of Neri Capponi, which was erected here in 1457 by 
Simone di Nanni Ferrucci. It also contains a curious coloured 
monument with a portrait of Cardinal Luigi Capponi (d. 1659). 
The adjoining chapel has tombs of other members of this dis- 
tinguished family. In the second chapel of the tribune (to 
the right) are some works over the altar attributed to Giotto, 
consisting of the Madonna and Four Saints on a gold ground. 
The next chapel has a Madonna Enthroned with SS. John 
the Divine and Jerome by Lorenzo di Credi (?) in a fine carved 
frame ; and the next chapel to this has an altar-front painted 
with a S. Luke by Neri di Bicci. 



io6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

In the left transept the first chapel has an altar-piece of 
the Madonna Enthroned with SS. John, Bartholomew and 
Angels, a fine painting of the school of Botticelli. The third 
chapel has an altar-piece by Cosimo Rosselli, dated 1482, of the 
Virgin with SS. Peter and Thomas. The adjacent Chapel 
of the Sacrament has some beautiful marble sculpture and 
decorations by Andrea Sansovino. The semi-circular marble 
balustrade is later in date (1642). In the first chapel, to the 
left of the Chapel of the Sacrament, is a Majesty with SS. 
Mary of Egypt and Catherine in adoration, a fine and well- 
preserved work by Raffaelino del Garbo (?). In the second 
chapel to the left is an altar-piece of the Madonna with SS. 
Nicholas and Bartholomew, of the school of Botticelli. The 
altar-piece of the third chapel is a beautiful work by Raffaello 
di Carlo, dated 1505, representing the Madonna with SS. 
Lawrence, John, Stephen, and Ber?iard. 

In the neighbouring Cappella Cavalcanti is buried the 
unfortunate Gian-Battista Cavalcanti, who was murdered on 
25 May", 1652, as well as his lady-love Maddalena Antinori, 
the lady by her relations and young Cavalcanti by his rival 
Carnesecchi. As a sequel to this Florentine love-tragedy, 
the two murdered lovers were entombed near each other, 
in the respective chapels of their families, the Cappella 
Antinori being the first chapel in the north aisle of the nave, 
close to the entrance of the sacristy. 

The Sacristy, which is approached by a broad corridor 
with an elaborate vaulted ceiling, is a noble octagonal 
chamber with four niches in its corners, built by Giuliano da 
Sangallo in 1489 from designs by Cronaca. The delicately 
carved capitals of the pillars by Sansovino are worthy of 
notice. Amongst its decorations is a pretty fresco over 
the entrance door of S. Augustine and the Child playing 
by the seashore. According to the legend, the child was 
reproved by the Saint for trying to fill a small hollow with 
the contents of the ocean, to which the child retorted that 
his was an easier task than that of the Saint, who was then 
vainly seeking to solve the Divine mystery of the Trinity. 

There are two cloistered courts belonging to the former 
monastery of the Augustinians now utilized as barracks. 
The larger of these is reached by the corridor of the 
sacristy, and contains a statue of the Augustinian saint, 
Nicholas of Tolentino, whose sextenary was kept recently 



S. STEFANO— S. TRINITA 1107 

with great splendour in this church. The second cloister, 
built by Ammannati in 1564, contains the ancient chapel 
of the Corsini, which has some monuments of members of 
that family. 

The Church of San Stefano, "ad Portam Ferream," 
stands in the little piazza of the same name off the narrow 
and crowded Via Por Santa Maria, a little to the north-east 
of the Ponte Vecchio. The fine old Torre dei Girolami, 
sometimes called the Torre di San Zenobio (whose figure 
is represented on its side in low-relief), communicates with 
this church at the corner of Via Lambertesca. The church 
possesses an old black and white marble facade of the 
eleventh century, and in its iron doorway is nailed a horse- 
shoe, concerning which many local legends have arisen, 
the most unlikely of them assigning this relic to the horse 
of the murdered Buondelmonte in the thirteenth century. 
Owing to this iron gate the church has received the additional 
descriptive name of Ad Porta?n F err earn. In 1656 San 
Stefano was modernized and decorated in a gorgeous manner, 
so that it has preserved but little of its ancient appearance. 
The high altar has some good bronze ornaments by Tacca. 

Santa Trinita. — The Piazza Santa Trinita is a small 
irregular space off the Via Tornabuoni, close to the Ponte 
Santa Trinita. The centre of the piazza is occupied by a tall 
column of antique granite removed hither from the Baths of 
Caracalla in Rome and presented to the Grand- Duke Cosimo 
I by Pope Pius IV (Gian-Angelo Medici) in 1563. This 
tall pillar is surmounted by a figure of Justice in red porphyry 
with a bronze robe, which was added by Francesco I in 1581. 

On the western side of the piazza is the facade of the Church 
of Santa Trinita, one of the oldest foundations in Florence, 
and so beautiful a specimen of Tuscan Gothic that Michel- 
angelo was wont to speak of it as u la sua dama," or his 
lady-love. It became the property of the Vallombrosan 
monks in the eleventh century. It was re-erected, according 
to the historian Villani, from a design of Niccolo Pisano in 
the fourteenth century and completed in the following century 
by other architects who followed Niccolo's plan. In 1593 
this beautiful Gothic church was terribly altered by Buonta- 
lenti, who destroyed its ancient facade with mosaics and 
replaced it by the existing rococo front. In 1884 a thorough 
and careful restoration was begun, so that the church has to 



io8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

a certain extent recovered its former appearance of a Gothic 
building of the fourteenth century. 

The beautiful interior, which consists of nave, aisles, and 
transepts, contains numerous works of art, and should be 
visited if possible in the early morning, since it is very dark. 
The aisles are lined by a series of chapels belonging to the 
chief families in Florence. Right aisle — the first chapel, 
formerly that of the Gianfigliazzi who owned the adjoining 
palace, contains on the right wall a fresco of the school of 
Giotto representing 5. Osimo with S. Mary of Egypt. In 
the third chapel is a Madonna and Saints by Neri di Bicci. 
The fourth chapel, Cappella Bartolini-Sali?nbeni, is enclosed 
by a fine iron grille of the fifteenth century. Its frescoes are 
attributed to . Lorenzo Monaco, who also painted its Gothic 
altar-piece, an Annunciation, a much admired work of this 
master. The fifth or adjoining chapel (Cappella Ardinghelli), 
recently restored with care and taste, has a fine altar by Bene- 
detto da Rovezzano. In the sacristy, which is approached 
from the north transept, is the fine Renaissance Tomb of 
Onofrio Strozzi ( 1 41 7) in the manner of Donatello. Opening 
on to this transept is the chief glory of this church, the 
Cappella Sassetti, with its frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandajo. 
The altar-piece is a copy of the beautiful original painting 
by Ghirlandajo, the Nativity and Adoration of the Shep- 
herds, once at this spot but since removed to the Accademia 
delle Belle Arti. The subject of these Frescoes is the life of 
S. Francis of Assisi, and they should be compared with those 
of Giotto of an earlier date but on the same subject in the 
Bardi Chapel of Santa Croce. 

These frescoes were executed in the year 1485, and are 
therefore earlier in date than the same artist's work in the 
choir of Santa Maria Novella. Beginning with the topmost 
subject on the left: (1) S. Francis having bestowed all his 
garments on the poor is protected by the Bishop of Assisi, 
who wraps his episcopal mantle round the youthful Saint. 
(2) Pope Honorius III approves the rules of the new Order ; 
an incident which the artist has depicted as taking place in 
the loggia of the Piazza della Signoria, giving us thereby an 
interesting view of the chief Florentine square as it existed 
in the year 1485. Amongst the various contemporary por- 
traits introduced is that of Lorenzo dei Medici, who is walking 
up the steps to the right. (3) S. Francis before the Moham- 



CHURCH OF S. TRINITA 109 

medan Sultan of Syria offers to pass through the fire unhurt, 
if the Sultan will embrace Christianity. Lower row, to the 
left of spectator : (4) S. Francis receives the miraculous 
wounds known as the " Stigmata". (5) (Over the altar), S. 
Francis appearing in a glory restores to life a child of the 
Spini family that has fallen from a window of the great 
Palazzo Spini, which the painter here introduces together 
with the old facade of Santa Trinita and the ancient bridge 
by Gaddi. (6) The death of S. Francis, perhaps the best 
of the series, with the artist's portrait introduced in the figure 
with a red dress standing behind the bishop at the head of 
the bier. On either side of the altar are portraits of the 
donor Francesco Sassetti and of Nera Corsi his wife, with 
the date i486 below. The handsome Tombs of dark marble 
on either side are by Giuliano da Sangallo. On the ceiling 
are painted the Four Prophets. 

Left Transept. — In the chapel next to the high altar 
is preserved the celebrated Crucifix of San Giovanni 
Gualberto, the founder of the Vallombrosan Order, who is 
said to have been kissed by the figure on this cross for 
having spared the murderer of his brother. Originally 
placed at San Miniato, the traditional scene of this miracle, 
the crucifix was claimed by the Abbot of Santa Trinita, who 
was finally allowed by Cosimo III in 1671 to gain possession 
of the coveted relic, to which were attached many spiritual 
privileges. In the next chapel is the Monume?it of Benozzo 
Federighi) Bishop of Fiesole (d. 1450), which has a beautiful 
recumbent effigy and is a fine work of Luca della Robbia. 
The whole tomb, which is divided into three compartments, 
is surrounded by a lovely border of enamelled tiles with 
coloured fruits and foliage. This work has only recently 
been transferred hither from the little chapel of San Francesco 
da Paola outside the Porta San Frediano. 

Left Aisle of Nave. — The first chapel from the high 
altar contains a wooden Statue of the Magdalen by Desiderio 
da Settignano. The second chapel possesses the tomb of 
the historian Dino Compagni (1323). In the third chapel, 
that of the Davanzati, is an ancient Christian sarcophagus 
used as the tomb of Giuliano Davanzati (d. 1444), and an 
altar-piece of the Annunciation by Neri di Bicci. 

The northern side of the church and the former conventual 
buildings extend along the adjacent Via Parione, whence is 
entered the cloister. 



no FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



P if a n of the Urnzi Gallery 

ACCORDING TO RECENT ALTERATIONS - 1910 



et: 



18 
17 
16 



20 



13 

4-1 

11 10 



I22J83 } a* I ^[ao j 




Venetian School I 
Venetian School II 

10. Tuscan Hall II 

11. Hall of the Maps 
12. Tuscan Hall III 
13.Tribuna 

14. Italian Schools 

15. Dutch School 



16. Flemish School. 1 T.German School. 18. French School. 19. Cabinet of Gems. 
20.South or Second Corridor. 21. West or Third Corridor. 22,23,24,25,26,27, 
28, 29. Rooms of the Painters' Portraits. 30. Corridor leading to the Pitti. 31. Hall 
of Van der Goes. 32.Hall of Rubens. 33, 34. Hall of Inscriptions and Hermaphro- 
dite. 35. Hall of Baroccio. 36.Hall cftheNiobe 3 7. Hall of Giovanni di San Giovanni. 
3S.30. Rooms of Pastels and Miniatures. 40, Drawings (closed). 



GALLERIES 
THE UFFIZI GALLERY 

ENLIGHTENED patrons of art and letters, the Medici of 
f the elder line laid the foundations of this gallery which, 
taken as a whole, is the most important collection ever brought 
together through the efforts of a single family. Their policy 
was continued by succeeding generations, and despite changes 
of dynasty. The Grand-Duke Cosimo I kept artists at work 
throughout his reign (1537-74) ; but the credit for the foun- 
dation of the Uffizi belongs to his son Francis I (1574-87) 
and his successors. This prince directed the architect, 
Bernardo Buontalenti (1 535-1608), to close in the eastern 
terrace of the palace erected by Vasari for Cosimo I with 
the intention to gather under one roof the pictures, etc., dis- 
seminated in the town and country houses of his family. 
Several small rooms and the octagonal. Tribune, surmounted 
by a gilded stucco and mother-of-pearl dome, were decorated 
by the best artists of the day. Ferdinand I (1 587-1609) 
bought statuary excavated in Rome, notably the celebrated 
Venus. Little more was done at the Uffizi during Cosimo 
IPs short reign (1609-21), but Ferdinand II (1621-70) 
directed the south and west terraces to be covered in and 
decorated. Amongst his principal additions to the gallery 
were the Delia Rovere pictures ; his brother Cardinal Leo- 
poldo dei Medici's collection of Artists' Portraits, which is 
being continued to this day ; the Venetian pictures purchased 
by him from the Florentine merchant Paolo del Sera at 
Venice ; and a fine collection of drawings by celebrated 
masters. Cosimo III (1670- 1723) enriched the Uffizi with a 
choice collection of Dutch pictures, and the Venus, the 
Knife-Whetter, and the Wrestlers, brought from the Medici 
Villa at Rome, besides statuary from the Boboli Gardens. 



ii2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Gian-Gastone, the last of the Medici princes, dying in 1737, 
his sister Anna-Maria-Luisa, the widowed Electress Palatine, 
devised all the family property, real and personal, to the 
city of Florence in perpetuity, thus securing these art collec- 
tions irremovably to the Tuscan State. 

The succession of the House of Lorraine proved no check 
to the growth of the gallery. The Emperor Francis I like- 
wise bought sculpture, whilst his son Pietro-Leopoldo (1765- 
90), on succeeding to the Grand-Duchy, initiated far- 
reaching changes. All the works of art hitherto dispersed 
in the Medicean villas, the offices of suppressed public bodies, 
convents, and churches were ordered to be collected under 
one roof. The west corridor, injured by fire in 1772, was 
restored, and in 1779 the Hall of Niobe built for that fine 
group of statues. Pietro-Leopoldo also threw open the 
collection to the public. The reign of his son Ferdinand 
III (1790- 1 824) was marred by the French interregnum 
( 1 801 -14), during which a number of paintings were tempor- 
arily removed to Paris ; still many additions were made, 
notably at the Pitti. Some nine hundred inscriptions, frag- 
ments, etc., from Thebes and Abydos were purchased by 
Leopold II ; and in 1866 the long gallery uniting the two 
Palaces of the Pitti and Uffizi was filled with the overflow 
from the Palace store-rooms. 

The re-arrangement of the entire collection, commenced in 
recent years upon scientific lines, is now virtually complete, 
through the addition of a number of new rooms. The ac- 
companying plan is taken from the recent (1910) catalogue, 
from which also much valuable information has been drawn. 

Visitors can ascend the stairs or reach the gallery by means 
of a lift. In the vestibule at the end stand portrait-busts of 
members of the Medici and Lorraine families, the founders 
and benefactors of the museum. In the circular hall we note 
three fine Hellenic statues — two hounds and a wild boar. 
The latter was cast in bronze by Tacca, the pupil of Gian- 
Bologna, for the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo. 

East Corridor 

A comprehensive survey of the development of religious 
art from the twelfth to the sixteenth century is here obtainable. 
Owing to their vast number, only the most important paint- 
ings are mentioned. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 113 

No. 3. Italian School. Twelfth century. The Crucified 
Saviour. 

The belief commonly held in the eleventh century that when 
Longinus inflicted the spear- wound the Saviour's life was not 
extinct, finds expression in the open eyes of this picture. 

No. 8. Lorenzo Monaco. Christ in the Garden. 

Formerly attributed to Giotto. 

No. 10. Tuscan School. Fourteenth century. S. Bar- 
tholomew. 

The Saint is holding a knife, the instrument of his martyr- 
dom. 

No. 14. Giovanni del Biondo. S.John the Evangelist. 

He is depicted with three fine symbolic figures, Pride, 
Avarice, and Vanity at his feet. 

No. 17. Giovanni del Biondo. The Translation of S. 
Joh?t the Evangelist. 

The legend tells how, S. John being carried up to heaven, 
a fountain of manna was seen to issue from the empty grave. 
The composition recalls Giotto's fresco in Santa Croce. 

No. 15. Pietro Lorenzetti. The Virgin and Child 
(i34o). 

This picture is recorded by Vasari as painted for the 
Church of S. Francesco at Pistoia. 

No. 16. Pietro Lorenzetti. Scenes of Hermit Life in 
the Thebdid. 

Angels minister to their needs, and wild beasts perform 
domestic offices for SS. Paul, Macarius, Anthony Abbas, 
and their companions in the desert. The Nile is dotted 
with quaint craft, blown about by the winds. A delightfully 
naive composition in which religious sentiment makes up for 
the lack of perspective. 

No. 26. Bernardo Daddi. The Virgin and Child with 
SS. Matthew and Nicholas of Bari. 

A votive picture, dated 1328, commissioned for the Con- 
vent of Ognissanti. 

No 20. Tuscan School. Fourteenth century. Scenes 
from the Life of S. Cecilia. 

Vasari was mistaken in attributing this picture to Cimabue. 
The eight small scenes depict episodes in the Saint's life, 
viz. : (1) Her marriage. (2) S. Cecilia and her husband 
Valerian. (3) She is crowned by angels. (4; SS. Cecilia, 
Valerian, and his brother Tiburtius. (5) The Baptism of 



ii4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Tiburtius. (6) S. Cecilia converts the soldiery. (7) Her 
appearance before the Prefect. (8) Her martyrdom. 

No. 27. GiOTTlNO (?). The Entombment. 

Impressiveness is obtained through simplicity in grouping 
the figures. Note the Magdalen kneeling beside S. Benedict. 
The nun is probably intended for his sister S. Scholastica. 
The donor, a young girl guarded by S. Zanobi, presents a 
charming figure. 

No. 28. Att. to Taddeo Gaddi. The Annunciation. 

The expression and attitudes are graceful. The scenes of 
the predella, especially the Nativity, should be noticed. 

No. 29. Niccolo di Pietro Gerini. The Coronation 
of the Virgin. Polyptych. 

The artist was assisted by a pupil, Jacopo di Lino. The 
composition with numerous figures is impressive. The Saints 
are the special Protectors of Florence : SS. John the Baptist, 
Matthew (Patron of Money-changers), Catherine (Patroness 
of Orators), Clement, Florentia (with a model of the city), 
John the Evangelist, Anthony Abbas, Zanobi, and the Martyr- 
Virgin Reparata. The handsome frame is emblazoned with 
the Arms of the Guilds. 

No. 31. Giovanni dal Ponte. The Coronation of the 
Virgin. Triptych. 

S. Ivo, the Patron Saint of Lawyers, stands on the Virgin's 
left, beside S. Dominic. 

No. 1292. Giovanni dal Ponte. Scenes from the Life 
of S. Peter. Predella. 

Brilliant colour and considerable freedom of composition 
distinguish these little scenes, especially that of S. Peter 
conferring ecclesiastical dignities. The Apostles are SS. 
Andrew, John, Philip, Matthew, Thomas, James, and Luke. 

No. 35. Tuscan School. Fifteenth century. S. Martin 
and the Beggar. Predella. 

A votive picture of the Vintners' Guild, whose arms, a cup, 
are emblazoned upon the frame. S. Martin is regarded as 
the Patron Saint of Drinkers. 

No. 36. M. Ariotto di Nardo. The Annunciation. 

Sadly injured and re-painted. 

No. 32. Giovanni da Milano. All Saints. Polyptych. 

This notable painting was executed, as Vasari records, 
for the Church of Ognissanti. Representative Saints are 
arranged in pairs. SS. Lucia and Catherine ; Stephen and 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 115 

Lawrence ; John the Baptist and Luke ; Peter and Benedict ; 
James and Gregory. The lower portion contains the choirs 
of Virgins, Martyrs, Apostles, Patriarchs, and Prophets, 
amongst them Noah holding the Ark. Note in small medal- 
lions the Days of the Creation. 

No. 40. Lorenzo Monaco. Pietd (1404). 

The scenes from the Passion are most delicately painted. 

No. 37. Spinello Aretino. The Crucifixion. Predella. 

The grouping of the numerous small figures is spirited. 

No. 45. Bicci di Lorenzo. SS. Cosimo and Damiano. 

This painting, so far as is known the artist's single authentic 
work, was commissioned in 1429 for the Duomo. The two 
Physician-Saints, in their scarlet doctor's robes, hold the 
instruments of their profession. Note in the predella the 
familiar miracle : an amputated limb healed by the substitu- 
tion of a leg from a negro's dead body. 

No. 43. Zanobi Strozzi. Portrait of Giovanni di Bicci 
dei Medici. 

Vasari records this likeness of the worthy Florentine mer- 
chant, the father of Cosimo the Elder. The shrewd humorous 
face must have been a speaking likeness, and served as 
the model for all the later " official portraits " of the ancestor 
of the ruling House. 

No. 44. Zanobi Strozzi. 5. Lawrence. 

A characteristic work, but damaged and restored. Note 
the predella with the Martyrdom of the Saint and his De- 
liverance of Souls from Purgatory. 

No. 19. SlENESE SCHOOL. Fifteenth century. The 
Marriage of S. Catherine. 

The Saints are SS. Dorothy and Agnes, and to the right 
S. Barbara and a nun, probably S. Catherine of Siena. 

No. 54. Neri di Bicci. The Virgin and Child. 

Sadly restored. The child holds the pomegranate, symbo- 
lizing his Life and Passion. 

No. 53. Neri di Bicci. The Annunciation. 

The delicate colour of this graceful composition recalls the 
art of Filippo Lippi. It was commissioned, as the inscription 
records, in 1458. 

No. 62. Tuscan School. Fifteenth century. The Game 
of the Owl. 

Artistically of little value, this painting is nevertheless 
interesting as a record of " manners " and Florentine popular 



n6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

sports. The game consists in mimicking a whispered word, 
which has to be guessed by the onlookers. 

No. 63. Cosimo ROSSELLI. The Coronation of the Virgin. 

A brilliantly coloured but somewhat crowded composition. 

Nos. 66, 67, 68. School of Botticelli. Fifteenth cen- 
tury. The Story of Esther and Ahasuerus. 

These spirited little scenes formed the decoration of a 
dower-chest. The glimpse afforded us under the disguise of 
a biblical scene of the mode of life of the wealthy Florentine 
citizens of the day is most attractive. No. 66 depicts the 
banquet, with a great display of gold plate under a gilded trellis. 
No. 67, that of Queen Vashti and her ladies, is no less gorge- 
ous though more subdued in tone, whilst in the Triumph of 
Mordecai, No. 68, we behold the victor's return from a tour- 
nament. 

No. 166. Sogliani. Holy Family. 

Warm colouring confers characteristic distinction upon 
this work of Lorenzo di Credi's disciple. 

No. 1223. Franciabigio. The Triumph of Hercules. 

Hercules, symbolizing Physical Energy, stands erect upon 
a pedestal'surrounded by scholars, soldiers, husbandmen, etc. 
This fine composition, the front panel of a dower-chest, was 
formerly attributed to Andrea del Sarto. 

No. 189. Domenico Beccafumi. Holy Family. 

A charming picture. 

No. 1296. Francesco Verdi (II Bachiacca). Scenes 
frojn the Life of S. Acasius. 

This delicate little composition formed the predella of an 
altar-piece by Sogliani. (1) The Baptism of the Saint (a 
Roman legionary) and his comrades by angels. (2) The 
angels help the Emperor Hadrian's Christian legion to victory. 
(3) The Martyrdom of S. Acasius and his companions on 
Mount Ararat. This scene is sometimes described as " the 
forty crowned Saints ". 

Nos. 1249-1282. Francesco Granacci. Scenes from the 
Life of Joseph. 

Interesting historically, these compositions formed part of 
the decoration of Margherita Acciajuoli's bridal-chamber 
upon her marriage in 1 528 to Pier-Francesco Borgherini. Her 
father-in-law, the wealthy Florentine merchant, had entrusted 
the leading artists of his day with the work, and the remaining 
panels by Andrea del Sarto are at the Pitti (Nos. 87, 88), 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 117 

whilst those by Pontormo (No. 1 13 1 ) and by Bacchiacca (Nos. 
12 1 8, 1 2 19) are in the National Gallery of London. 

No. 90. Raffaellino di Carlo. The Virgin in Glory 
with Saints. 

An interesting delicately coloured painting brought from 
the monastery of San Vivaldo in Val d'Elsa. The little 
angels are charming. Compare the fine picture No. 200, 
Corsini Palace Gallery. 

Nos. 82, 83, 84. Piero di Cosimo. The History of Per- 
seus and Andromeda. 

An early work. These fanciful compositions, probably in- 
tended for a dower-chest, were painted for the Florentine 
merchant Francesco del Pugliese. 

No. 1287. Lorenzo di Credi. Holy Family. 

Warm and pleasing in colour. Note the devout mien and 
graceful attitude of the Virgin, and especially the charming 
landscape in the background. 

No. 91. Gerino d'Antonio Gerini. The Virgin En- 
throned with Saints. 

A characteristic work signed and dated 1529. The effec- 
tively grouped Saints are SS. James, Cosimo, Mary Magdalen, 
Louis, Catherine, and Roch. 

We retrace our steps to the Third Tuscan Hall marked 
No. 33 on the map (second door from the entrance) where 
most of the works of art purchased from the Hospital of S. 
Maria Nuova in 1900 are exhibited. 

Third Tuscan Hall 

A few unimportant pictures are omitted. 

No. 71. Fra Bartolommeo and Mariotto Alber- 
tinelli. The Last Judgment. 

This fine composition is too much damaged to pos- 
sess anything but an historic interest. Commissioned in 
1499 by Gerozzo Doni, for the Mortuary Chapel of Santa 
Maria Nuova, the artist left his work unfinished when, in 
obedience to a vow after the execution of his friend Savona- 
rola, he joined the Dominican Order. The donor thereupon 
directed Albertinelli to complete the painting. 

No. 22. Raffaellino del Garbo (known also as Raf- 
faello Capponi). The Virgin E?tthro?ted with Attendant 
Saints. 

Fine harmonious colour is a distinguishing feature of this 



n8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

painter's art. The child blesses the donor, possibly Francesco 
del Pugliese, kneeling in front of his patron S. Francis, beside 
his wife who is guarded by San Zanobi, Bishop of Florence. 

No. 12. Andrea del Castagno. The Crucifixion, The 
Virgin, S S.John, Romuald, and Benedict. 

A most impressive work, the life-size figures contrasting 
with the dark background are sculptural. This fresco, for- 
merly in the cloister of the suppressed Camaldolese Monas- 
tery of S. M. degli Angeli, was concealed under whitewash, 
and is sadly damaged. We can, nevertheless, appreciate 
the genius of the artist whose distinctive characteristic, in 
advance of his time, is truth to nature. The figures of the 
Virgin and the Evangelist are especially fine. 

No. 72. Sogliani. The Annunciation. 

This picture possesses undoubted charm. The inscription 
on the faldstool entreats a prayer for the artist. 

No. 1542. Lorenzo di Pietro (II Vecchietto). 
The Virgin Enthroned with Attendant Saints. Triptych. 

This notable but much restored work was commissioned in 
1487 for the Sienese Guild of Silk Weavers. The attendant 
Saints are : one of the Three Kings, SS. Bartholomew, and 
James the Great leaning on his palmer's staff, Lawrence, 
Andrew, and Dominic, the latter kneeling. 

No. 63. Sogliani. The Dispute upon the Doctrine of 
Original Sin. 

The attitudes of the Doctors of the Church are striking. 

No. 1278 bis. Verrocchio. The Virgin Enthroned 
with Attendant Saints. 

Verrocchio's art is sculptural in the grouping of his 
figures. S. Zanobi tenders the model of a church, the 
projected Cathedral of Florence probably. The heads of S. 
Francis and S. Nicholas, the latter holding three purses, 
express deep religious feeling. 

No. 65 bis. CosiMO ROSSELLI. Madonna in Glory called 
" Madonna delta Stella ". 

The star embroidered upon the Virgin's mantle gives its 
name to this fine painting. 

No. 56. Alessio Baldovinetti. The Annuncia- 
tion. 

A park-like scene opens from the loggia where the Virgin 
stands to receive the Archangel's salutation. Vasari attri- 
butes this charming painting to Pesellino, 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 119 

No. 20. Andrea and Jacopo Orcagna. S. Matthew, 
Triptych, and Predella, by Lorenzo di Niccolb di Pietro 
Gerini. 

The figure of S. Matthew is instinct with simple dignity. 
Note the delicately painted small scenes on either side : (1) 
S. Matthew preaching in Ethiopia, exorcises the dragon, 
sent by the King's sorcerers to destroy him. (2) The calling 
of Matthew the Publican. (3) The Saint raises the son of 
King Egippus from the dead, in the sight of the sorcerers. 
(4) The death of S. Matthew. (5) King Hirtacus of Ethiopia 
desiring to take to wife Euphigenia the daughter of his 
predecessor, who had become a nun, is reproved by S. 
Matthew. (6) Enraged by the insult, the King sends a 
soldier to stab the Apostle in the back whilst celebrating 
Mass (Golden Legend). 

The predella scenes depict : The Crucifixion, and five epi- 
sodes from the life of S. Nicholas of Bari, viz. : (1) The en- 
thronement of the Saint as Bishop of Myra. (2) S. Nicholas, 
in response to the prayers of mariners overtaken by a tempest, 
appears in the rigging and brings their barque to land. (3) 
The Saint vindicates the innocence of three soldiers unjustly 
sentenced by the Roman Consul, and appears in a vision 
to the Emperor Constantine. (4) A certain nobleman had 
promised S. Nicholas to make a votive offering of a gold 
cup in the event of a son being born to him. Told to 
purloin the gift, the son is drowned. (5) S. Nicholas restores 
him to his parents (Golden Legend). 

No. 60. Alessio Baldovinetti. The Virgin and Child, 
with SS. Lawrence, Julian, and Anthony, John the Baptist, 
Cosimo and Damian, SS. Francis and Do?ninic Kneel- 

This painting, noteworthy for brilliance and transparency 
of colour and the life-like grouping of the personages, is 
the artist's finest work. Spring flowers star the grass in the 
garden, enclosed with a brocaded curtain. The Saints, con- 
spicuous for careful characterization, stand and kneel in de- 
vout attitudes before this ideal presentment of the Mother 
and Child. 

No. 61. (School of) Piero della Francesca. The 
Resurrection. 

We note only the characteristic landscape background 
with a hill-town overlooking the Adriatic. 



i2o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Unnumbered. The two large paintings of the Cruci- 
fied Saviour are attributed to Lorenzo Monaco, 

Hall of Lorenzo Monaco 

No. 1309. Lorenzo Monaco. The Coronatio?i of the 
Virgin. Polyptych. 

This magnificent altar-piece containing over one hundred 
figures was painted in 141 3 for the Camaldolese Monastery 
of S. M. degli Angeli in Florence to which Lorenzo Monaco 
belonged. It is his greatest work. The central group is 
very fine. The Founders and Patron Saints of the great 
Benedictine Order of which the Camaldolese and the Cis- 
tercians, founded respectively by SS. Romuald and Bernard, 
were off-shoots, are conspicuous figures amongst the attendant 
Saints, Martyrs, and Doctors of the Church. The six predella 
paintings comprise : The Nativity, the Adoration of the 
Magi, and four episodes from the Life of S. Benedict. 
Note especially the visit of the Saint to his sister S. 
Scholastica, and the resurrection of the novice killed by 
a wall thrown down by the Evil One in building their Mon- 
astery. Although injudicious restoration and over-cleaning 
make the composition appear somewhat flat, this work still 
remains one of the finest productions of earlier fifteenth- 
century art. 

No. 1544. BARTOLOMMEO Caporali. The Virgin and 
Child. 

A charming painting of the early Umbrian School. Its 
miniature-like delicacy is exquisite. 

No. 41. Lorenzo Monaco. The Virgin Enthroned with 
Saints. Triptych. 

This fine composition, dated 14 10, is a beautiful and 
characteristic work. Note the Angels behind the Virgin. 
The attendant Saints are SS. John the Baptist and Bar- 
tholomew (holding a knife), Thaddeus and Benedict. 

No. 23. Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi. The 
Annunciation. Triptych. 

An exquisite work signed and dated 1333. Although un- 
fortunately restored, we have here a beautiful example of 
Sienese art. The golden light, which lends such a wonderful 
sheen to the composition, is obtained by the application of 
colour upon gold-leaf. The Angel and Virgin, the former 
especially, are exquisite figures. The martyrs SS. Ansano, 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 121 

with the black and white banner of Siena, and Giulitta, patrons 
of the city, are characteristic. 

No. 1 551. Giovanni di Paolo. Virgin and Saints. 

A fine example of the Sienese technique which united golden 
colour in the flesh tints with a singular transparency. Note 
the Archangel with peacock-hued wings. 

No. 17. Fra Angelico. The Virgin Enthroned with 
SS. Joh7i the Baptist, Peter, and Mark. 

The artist's genius and his limitations are alike conspicu- 
ous in this great work, in which the trammels of his early 
training as a miniaturist hinder breadth of treatment. The 
Guild of Flax-weavers commissioned this picture in 1433 
for their chapel dedicated to their Patron S. Mark, whose 
figure, be it noted, is repeated twice upon the tabernacle 
doors, visible thus whether open or closed. The Virgin and 
Child are conceived upon traditional and formal lines, but in 
the choir of musician-angels ascending around the frame we 
have twelve of the most exquisite conceptions of the art of 
Fra Giovanni, justly surnamed the Angelic painter. 

The predella depicts S. Peter preaching to the Gentiles, 
the Adoration of the Magi, and the Martyrdom of S. Mark, 
wherein the Saint is dragged to execution with a rope round 
his neck through the streets of Alexandria, the attempt to 
burn his dead body being frustrated by a violent hailstorm 
(Golden Legend). 

No. 1302. BENOZZO GOZZOLI. Predella, The Pieta Sup- 
ported by SS. John and Mary Magdalen, The Mystic 
Nuptials of S. Catherine, and to the right SS. Anthony, 
Abbot, and Benedict. 

A charming little composition. The figures are vigorously 
characterized. 

No. 1310. Gentile da Fabriano. Four Saints : SS. 
Mary Magdalen, Nicholas of Bari, John the Baptist, and 
George. 

These beautiful figures formed the wings of a triptych 
commissioned in 1423 by the Quaratesi family for the high 
altar of San Niccolo Oltr' Arno. The centre panel with the 
Virgin and Child — long supposed to be lost — is in the Royal 
Collection at Buckingham Palace. A water-colour copy, by 
the Hon. Mrs. Carpenter, was presented to the gallery by the 
Countess of Brownlow. Vasari's praise that " they could not 
be more beautiful nor better done " exactly describes the 



122 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

artist's work. Note especially the delicate rendering of the 
Magdalen and S. George, and the gorgeous vestments, 
wrought with numberless little figures, of S. Nicholas. 

No. 39. Lorenzo Monaco. The Adoration of the Magi. 
Triptych. 

A finely coloured, impressive composition in spite of 
damage and restoration. The Annunciation above the centre 
panel and the half figures of the Saviour and Prophets in the 
pinnacles are by Cosimo Rosselli. 

No. 1304. Neroccio di Siena and Francesco di 
Giorgio. Scenes from the Life of S. Benedict. 

These Sienese artists who flourished in the latter half of 
the fifteenth century have lavished all the resources of their 
art upon these exquisite little episodes. The architectural 
framework, depicted with the minutest and most delicate 
precision, is the work of Francesco di Giorgio, and recalls 
Mantegna's exquisite triptych (compare No. 11 11). The 
miracles of the Saint are told with a charming simplicity. In 
the first scene he is seen kneeling in his grotto of Subiaco. 
The Evil One tempts the Saint to doubt Providence, terrify- 
ing him by calling him Maledetto — accurst — instead of by 
his name Benedict. Monte Cassino is visible in the back- 
ground. The central scene depicts the prodigy of the broken 
cribble, mended by the Saint's prayers, which his nurse 
brings to the church as a votive offering, with episodes of his 
childhood and his early life. The third scene depicts the visit 
to S. Benedict at Monte Cassino of Totila, King of the Goths, 
who had doubted his miraculous power of healing a deaf 
and dumb youth (Golden Legend). 

On an Easel 

No. 1290. FraAngelico. The Coronation of the Virgin. 

This deservedly popular composition is one of the artist's 
most exquisite productions. Note the soaring choir of angels 
on either side who seem to float in a sea of gold. We recog- 
nize that Saint in the Bishop in the blue robe to the left, 
beside S. Dominic. The other Saints, arrayed beneath the 
Saviour and His Mother, comprise Apostles,, Prophets, 
Bishops, Confessors, and Virgin-Martyrs, mostly recognizable 
by their attributes. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 123 



Hall of Botticelli 

Nos. 70-73. Antonio and Piero Pollaiulo. Justice — 
Charity, 

These are two of the series of the seven Cardinal Virtues, 
commissioned in 1469 by the Tribunal of the " Mercanzia " 
for their Hall. The Virtues, each with her symbol, filled 
the panels surrounding a painting of the Virgin. The latter, 
long supposed to be lost, was traced to England, and is now 
at Strassburg. The figure of Charity is the more striking, 
but both pictures were in a very damaged state and have 
been almost entirely re-painted. 

No. 1299. Botticelli. Fortitude. 

One of the Virtues above-mentioned. Executed at the 
early age of twenty-four, it displays, nevertheless, all the 
maturity of the artist's genius. Note the fine modelling of 
the features, especially the hands. 

Nos. 1151-1158. Botticelli. Judith, The Death of 
Holophernes. 

These exquisite little compositions were, it is stated, given 
by the Florentine nobleman Rodolfo Sirigatti to Bianca 
Capello, the wife of Francis I dei Medici. Botticelli's 
Judith is no Jewish heroine. Stepping lightly across the 
greensward she carries an olive branch, as a maiden would 
her distaff. She is followed by an attendant who seemingly is 
as unconscious as her mistress of the weight of their tragic 
burden. Neither does the scenery of vernal grace confer 
reality to the biblical drama depicted in the companion 
picture (No. n 58). The artist was above all a lyric poet. 
The brilliantly coloured scene of the death of Holophernes 
affords him only an opportunity of displaying his dexterity 
in characterizing the figures with a miniature-like precision 
and delicate colour. 

No. 1 1 82. Botticelli. The Calumny of Afielles. 

Lucian relates how Apelles accused by Antiphilus, a rival 
artist, of conspiracy against the life of Ptolemy, at once vindi- 
cated his innocence and revenged himself upon his accuser 
by painting a picture of Calumny. Botticelli certainly follows 
Lucian's description, but treats his theme with characteristic 
grace. The figures are modelled with vigour, although a 
certain mannerism is not absent. The attitudes are somewhat 
theatrical ; notably of Calumny attended by her handmaidens, 



i2 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Malice and Deceit, who are twining roses in her tresses, 
whilst she, bearing the torch of Discord, drags Innocence — 
in the guise of a helpless Youth — before the Judge — with 
asses' ears — sometimes called King Midas, who is listening 
to the whisperings of Ignorance and Suspicion ; whilst Envy 
— a man in ragged attire — is bearing false witness against 
him. The beautiful nude figure of Truth, from whom Re- 
morse — a sour-visaged hag — turns indignantly, should be com- 
pared with his Venus (No. 39). This fanciful composition 
was doubtless intended for the adornment of one of the chests 
in which the Insignia of Justice were kept in the Law Courts. 
Durer also depicted this subject for the Rath-Haus of Nurem- 
berg, in 1522. 

No. 3436. Botticelli. The Adoration of the Magi. 

A disappointing work, inasmuch as we can only hazard 
a guess at the artist's intention. The vigorous design and 
masterly grouping of horses and men are concealed beneath 
the colour added by a later craftsman. It is noteworthy 
that the knight on horseback and Verrocchio's statue of 
Colleoni at Venice seem inspired by the same mind. 

No. 1306. Antonio Pollaiuolo. Prudence. 

This is yet another of the series of the Virtues. The sym- 
bolic accessories are skilfully rendered, and the colouring is 
warm and deep. 

No. 1 1 79. Botticelli. S. Augustine. 

Vasari, describing " the very beautiful picture in the pos- 
session of the Florentine merchant, Bernardo Vecchietti," 
ascribes this charming and perfectly preserved little com- 
position to Filippo Lippi. The attitude of the Saint in his 
study is true to life ; note the pens and papers strewn at his 
feet. Compare with the fine fresco in the Church of Ognis- 
santi, which would seem to have inspired this little panel. 

No. 1 1 54. Botticelli. Portrait of Piero di Lorenzo dei 
Medici (?). 

Discussion has been rife concerning the identity of this 
personage. Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni dei Medici — 
the second son of Cosimo the Elder — or again Giuliano the 
younger brother of II Magnifico, murdered in the Pazzi con- 
spiracy have all been suggested. The resemblance, however, 
to a miniature portrait at Chantilly attributed to Gherardo, 
favours Piero, the elder son and luckless successor of Lorenzo 
II Magnifico. The features are strongly marked. Note also 




JUDITH 
Frotnjhe fainting by ]>otticelli in iJic Uffizi Galler 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 125 

the beautiful landscape background. We recognize the 
familiar profile of Cosimo the Elder in the gilt-plaster medal. 

No. 39. Botticelli. The Birth of Venus. 

This fine picture, one of " the many nude females " which, 
according to Vasari, Botticelli "painted in the city," was 
one of a series commissioned by Lorenzo di Pier-Francesco 
dei Medici for his villa of Castello, probably about the years 
1484-5, after the artist's return from Rome. Recent re- 
search traces the sources of Botticelli's inspiration for these 
mythological paintings to the poems of Messer Angelo Poli- 
ziano and Lorenzo II Magnifico himself, where exact descrip- 
tions of several subjects are to be found. The poetry of 
motion is here rendered with perfection in the flower-laden 
atmosphere, and the sunlit waters, whereon the shell seems 
actually to glide landwards. A graceful Nymph spreads 
a flower-embroidered mantle before the goddess. 

No. 1289. Botticelli. The Madonna of the Pomegran- 
ate. 

This very beautiful composition shows us the artist in one 
of his tender and deeply mystic moods. His familiar fem- 
inine type recurs again and again, but never with deeper 
feeling than in the Virgin's pensive countenance and sorrow- 
laden eyes. The expressions of the attendant Angels are 
equally typical and diversified. 

No. 1286. Botticelli. The Adoration of the Magi. 

The masterpiece of the artist's early maturity. The colour 
is clear and harmonious ; the composition of the scene 
masterly. Botticelli has here assembled the leading members 
of the Medici family around the head of their house. Cosimo 
the Elder kneels at the feet of the Virgin and Child. The 
two other Kings are his sons Piero in red, and Giovanni in 
a white robe ; the latter predeceased his father. Amid a 
group of Florentine citizens in the foreground, all being 
evidently portraits, stands Lorenzo II Magnifico, a graceful 
youth in a crimson doublet and grey hose. The handsome 
Giuliano dei Medici, styled " II Bel Giulio " (the father of Pope 
Clement VII), stands behind Piero and Giovanni, his uncle 
and father. The fair-haired young man in an orange-coloured 
robe to the right is traditionally believed to be Botticelli him- 
self. 

No. 1267 bis. Botticelli. The Virgin and Child^ The 
" Magnificat ". 



126 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

A masterpiece of sacred art. Botticelli's most ideal re- 
ligious composition. The Virgin and Child and the attendant 
Angels are resplendent with an ethereal loveliness. Though 
unfortunately restored and re-painted, few works by this 
artist convey a more impressive rendering of the Mystery of 
the Incarnation. 

No. 76. School of Botticelli. Virgin and Child. 

The colour scheme is warm and harmonious, and the 
attitude of the Virgin recalls the notable painting by Filippo 
Lippi recently brought from San Salvi to the Riccardi 
Palace. 

No. 1316. Botticelli. The Annunciation. 

Placed by the side of other works, this composition presents 
anomalies which have raised doubt concerning its authen- 
ticity. The inspiration, however, is certainly Botticelli's own ; 
the landscape is exquisite, and the movement of the Angel 
and the Virgin's attitude are most graceful. 

No. 1303. School of Botticelli. The Virgin En- 
throned with the Infant Christ. 

A very beautiful work, in which the art and influence of 
Filippo Lippi and Botticelli are equally marked. The expres- 
sion and attitude of the Virgin are characteristically graceful. 
The rose-garden recalls the fine painting by Botticelli in the 
Louvre (No. 1296). 

Hall of Leonardo. Da Vinci 

No. 3452. Lorenzo di Credi. Venus. 

This work, though sadly damaged and restored, possesses 
for us a two-fold interest : nude figures are rare in the 
fifteenth century, and this work is a solitary exception to 
Lorenzo di Credi's exclusive attachment to religious subjects. 
His Venus resembles Botticelli's ideal creation (compare 
No. 39) sufficiently to mark the distance between the two 
compositions. 

No. 1305. Domenico Veneziano. The Virgin En- 
throned with Attendant Saints. 

A new departure in Florentine art. The architectural setting 
of the composition and the apse behind a colonnade where 
the Virgin sits enthroned in her niche recall the artist's 
Venetian traditions. The figures are nobly modelled, and 
the profile of S. Lucy is charming. The other Saints are : 



, 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 127 

SS. John the Baptist (whose red mantle strikes a brilliant 
note of colour), Francis, and Nicholas of Bari. 

Nos. 71, 72, 69. Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo. 
Temperance, Faith, Hope. 

These figures formed part of the series of Virtues already 
mentioned, painted for the Hall of the Merchants' Exchange 
— Mercanzia. Much injured and re-painted, they possess 
only an historical interest. 

No. 1252. Leonardo da Vinci. Adoration of the 
Magi. 

Too close proximity to the spectator mars the effect of this 
fine work. Nevertheless, the masterly grouping enables us 
to form some idea of its impressiveness had the painting 
been completed. The Virgin recalls the u Vierge aux 
Rochers " in the Louvre and the National Gallery. Vasari 
describes this work as "unfinished," like so many of the 
artist's undertakings. 

No. 1288. Att. to Leonardo da Vinci. The Annuncia- 
tion. 

Stated to be a work of the artist's early youth — he was 
barely twenty-two — this composition may be dated about 
1475, when the influences of classicism had asserted their 
mastery in Florentine art. In the severe almost sculptural 
ordering of the composition in which architecture and 
verdure form a contrast of singular beauty with the land- 
scape, Leonardo seems to have interpreted the scenery of 
his familiar Tuscany with the foreknowledge of the later 
fruits of travel. The dignified mien of the Virgin shows 
consciousness of her future state, and the gesture of the 
Angel foreshadows his mission with striking forcefulness. 

No. 65. COSIMO ROSSELLI. Adoration of the Magi. 

A harsh, overcrowded composition. Vasari, who errone- 
ously describes this picture to Pesellino, records the scholar 
Donato Acciajuoli as being among the bystanders ; he is 
possibly the figure in a black doublet with a red cloak thrown 
over his shoulder. 

No. 52. Paolo Uccello. Battle Scene. 

The Rout of San Romano. — This is one of a series painted, 
as Vasari records, for the Florentine merchant Bartolini. 
In its present condition Paolo Uccello's attempt — a novelty in 
his day — to render the heat and stress of battle through a wild 
medley of struggling mass of horse and foot-soldiers pro- 



128 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

duces amusement. Note the foreshortening of the horse kick- 
ing with both hindlegs. The composition should be judged 
rather as a landmark in the progress of art and a notable ad- 
vance in the science of perspective — then in its infancy — 
whilst Paolo Uccello's genius can best be appreciated in the 
frescoes of Sta. Maria Novella and the fine equestrian figure 
of Sir John Hawkwood in the Duomo. 

Hall of Michelangelo 

No. iooi. Antonio del Pollaiuolo. SS. Eustace; 
Ja?nes, and Vincent. 

The vigorous design and harmonious colouring of this 
work display the art of the Pollaiuolo brothers to great ad- 
vantage. S. Eustace, the soldier-Saint, is by Piero del 
Pollaiuolo, and his earliest known work. The others are : 
The Protectors of the youthful Prince of Portugal, James, 
Cardinal of the title of San Eustachio, nephew to King 
Alphonso, who died in Florence in 1459 on ms wav t0 
Germany as Papal Legate. 

No. 1295. Domenico Ghirlandajo. Adoration of the 
Magi. 

Brilliant colour distinguishes this fine work, executed, as 
the inscription states, in 1487. 

No. 131 5. Sebasttano Mainardi. SS. James, Stephen, 
and Peter Martyr. 

A harmonious composition. Note the deep warm colour 
and vigorous design. The artist was a brother-in-law and 
pupil of Ghirlandajo. 

No. 1307. Filippo Lippi. The Virgin and Child. 

One of Filippo Lippi's best works. His conception of 
feminine beauty is inspired by his romantic passion for 
Lucrezia Buti, whom the Virgin is said to portray. The 
scenery is depicted with characteristic delicacy. Painted 
for the private chapel of Cosimo the Elder in the Riccardi 
Chapel, probably about 1450. The fresco decoration of the 
chapel by Benozzo Gozzoli was completed some eight or ten 
years afterwards, when the altar-piece of the Nativity (now 
at Berlin) was substituted for this picture. 

No. 1297. Ghirlandajo. The Virgin Enthroned with 
the Archangels Michael and Raphael, SS. Zanobi and 
Giusto Kneeling. 



. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 129 

This striking composition is deservedly praised by Vasari. 
He notes how the artist was the first to ftaint his accessories, 
flowers, ornaments, etc., without enhancing the effect by 
raised plaster- work, gilt and coloured. The landscape, open- 
ing from the architectural "garden enclosed," is very beauti- 
ful. S. Zanobi, the Bishop of Florence, is distinguished by 
the red lily on his cope. 

No. 1 160. Lorenzo di Credi. The Annunciation. 

The Virgin and the Archangel lack originality, but the 
artist has lavished all his skill upon the exquisite landscape. 
A formal garden extends beyond the handsome loggia, 
offering us a charming glimpse of the highly developed 
country life of Tuscany. The birth of Eve and the Fall are 
depicted in grisaille with cameo-like vigour and precision 
in the predella. 

No. 1 139. Michelangelo. The Holy Family. 

We have here Michelangelo's single unfinished easel 
painting. The sumptuous original frame was executed for 
Angelo Doni, whose portrait by Raphael hangs in the Pitti 
(No. 61). Vasari, who notes with gusto the wealthy mer- 
chant's ostentatious parsimony, tells us how, seeking to save 
something out of the stipulated price of seventy ducats, he 
sent the artist forty for his pains. Michelangelo demanding 
100 gold pieces, Doni forwarded the original amount, 
but was finally constrained to pay 140 ducats to obtain 
possession of the picture. The lack of religious feeling in 
the composition is disappointing, but admiration must be 
unreserved for the brilliancy and sculptural qualities, es- 
pecially in the masterly grouping of the smaller figures. 

No. 74. Luca SlGNORELLl. The Holy Family. 

Signorelli's influence upon Michelangelo's earlier art (No. 
1 1 39) is distinctly traceable in this beautiful composition. 
The Virgin's blue and red robes strike a warm colour note 
in the cool grey and green key of delicately painted vegeta- 
tion. Vasari records the gift of this picture by Signorelli to 
Lorenzo dei Medici. 

No. 1 29 1. Luca Signorelli. The Holy Family. 

This superb work is imbued with a deep and tender re- 
ligious sentiment. Note the attitude and expression of the 
child over whom S. Joseph bends devoutly. The character- 
istics of childhood, youth, and maturity are rendered with 
rare skill in the figures ; modelled with the vigour which 



i 3 o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

distinguished Signorelli's art. Note the Roman scarf upon 
S. Joseph's shoulders. 

No. 75. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. 

The Virgin and Child. 

Possesses much charm of expression. 

No. 1298. LUCA SlGNORELLl. Predella, The Annun- 
ciation, The Nativity, The Adoration of the Magi. 

Despite restricted dimensions and the introduction of 
numerous small figures, Signorelli's composition imparts a 
striking sense of spaciousness. Note especially the Annun- 
ciation with a beautiful landscape background and the Adora- 
tion of the Magi. 

No. 1547. Perugino and Signorelli. The Cruci- 
fixion, with SS. Jerome, Francis, John the Baptist, and 
Mary Magdalen. 

A work interesting only through the introduction beside the 
Cross of Beato Colombini in a pale grey robe. Colombini was 
the founder of the Order of Ingesuati, to whom the Church 
of La Calza, for which this picture was painted, belonged. 

No. 1549. FiLiPPiNO Lippi. The Virgin Adoring the 
Christ-Child. 

The sunset glow, a rare quality in the paintings of the 
period which usually favoured high noon for their atmos- 
pheric effect, suffuses the scene. The green cypresses, 
upright like bronze pillars, set off the colour of the Virgin's 
robes, borrowed seemingly from the sky. The light is two- 
fold, irradiating both from the horizon and from the figure 
of the Christ-Child. 

Venetian School : First Hall 

Several unimportant paintings are omitted. 

No. 387. Paris Bordone. Portrait. 

A good portrait. Note the brushwork of the furred robe. 
Attributed also to Bernardino Licinio. 

No. 614. Att. to Titian. Portrait of Giovanni Dei 
Medici. 

The ascription of this portrait to Titian cannot be upheld. 
It is most likely a school copy of the lost original. Giovanni 
dei Medici (1498- 1526) was a descendant of Lorenzo, the 
younger brother of Cosimo the Elder, and the ancestor of 
the Grand-Ducal line. A soldier of fortune in the fullest 




THE HOLY FAMILY 
Front the painting by Ltica Signorelli in the Uffizi Gallery 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 131 

sense of the word, he met his death at Mantua fighting the 
Spaniards. His son Cosimo succeeded to the Dukedom of 
Florence after the murder in 1537 of Alessandro dei Medici. 
v". No. 585. School of Tintoretto. Portrait. 

Formerly attributed to Pordenone. 
c No. 609. Copy of Titian. The Battle of Cadore. 
l A copy of Titian ; large painting of the battle of Cadore, 
which was destroyed by fire in 1570 in the Ducal Palace at 
Venice. 

No. 615. Tintoretto. Portrait. 

Tintoretto portrays old age with singular felicity. Note 
the furred robe falling in stately folds. 

No. 589. Paolo Veronese. The Martyrdom of S.fustina. 

An early work ; a sketch probably for the large altar-piece 
in the Church of S. Justina, at Padua. 

No. 638. Tintoretto. Portrait of Sansovino. 

The celebrated Venetian sculptor and architect Jacopo 
Tatti, surnamed Sansovino (1479- 1570), was born in Florence. 
Advancing years are again depicted with singular force and 
psychological insight. Note the fine modelling. 

No. 578. ROMANINO. Portrait of a Boy. 

A charming little work. 

No. 577. Tintoretto. Portrait. 

A fine portrait. 

No. 3458. Sebastiano del Piombo. Portrait, " D Uomo 
Ammalato " (the invalid). 

The languor of a consuming sickness is admirably rendered 
in the melancholy countenance and hopeless look of the 
youthful nobleman. 

No. 1 1 36. Paolo Veronese. The Mystic Marriage of 
S. Catherine. 

The gold of the Saint's tresses and her gleaming robe 
irradiates the picture. Veronese shows himself here a master 
of exquisite colour harmony in the most delicate shades. 

No. 648. Titian. Portrait of Caterina Cornaro, Queen 
of Cyprus (1 454-1 510). 

Titian, it is known, painted in 1542 a portrait of Caterina 
Cornaro, who had then been dead some thirty-two years, for 
her family. Many replicas were made, and this painting, 
which discloses little if any trace of his art, was one of Cardinal 
Leopoldo dei Medici's purchases at Venice. The grand- 
daughter of the Doge Marco Cornaro, Caterina married in 



i 3 2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

1468 Jacques de Lusignan, King of Cyprus. Proclaimed 
" Daughter of S. Mark," she ruled her kingdom in troublous 
times during the fourteen years of her widowhood with con- 
spicuous ability, abdicating in 1489 in favour of the Republic 
of Venice. Caterina Cornaro retained her queenly title and 
state, and died in 1 5 10 at her villa of Asolo, near Treviso, the 
residence assigned to her by the Senate of Venice. 

No. 601. Tintoretto. Portrait of 'the Venetian Admiral 
Sebastiano Ve?iier (1501-78). 

A fine work of Tintoretto's maturity. Sebastiano Venier 
commanded the Venetian squadron at the battle of Lepanto. 
His tactics assured the victory of the combined forces of the 
Holy See, Spain, Venice, Genoa, and Malta under Don John 
of Austria over the Turkish fleet. Unanimously elected 
Doge of Venice in 1577, he died a year later. His naval 
successes are indicated by the Ionian Islands and ports seen in 
the offing. 

No. 571. G 10 van Francesco Caroto. Portrait of a 
Knight and his Esquire. 

This fine work was formerly given to Giorgione. The 
distinct resemblance between the beardless Cavalier and 
Giorgione's portrait of the Knight of Malta (No. 622) marks 
Giorgione's influence upon contemporary art. 

No. 1540. School of Titian. Portrait of Pope Sixtus 
7^(1414-84). 

A copy of some earlier portrait. Francesco della Rovere 
was the son of a fisherman at Celles, near Savona, and was 
raised to the Pontificate in 1471 in succession to Paul II. 

No. 1 1 16. Titian. Port ait of A rchb is hop Beccadelli. 

In this characteristic work, executed, as may be learned 
from the inscription, in 1552, Titian displays strikingly his 
science of vigorous flesh modelling. The sombre colour 
scheme of the robes is harmonious, although recent restoration 
has in some measure disturbed the balance. Lodovico 
Beccadelli was Papal Legate in Venice. 

No. 1569. Giovanni Busi Cariani. Holy Family. 

A brilliantly coloured composition. The artist, a pupil of 
Palma Vecchio, was influenced also by Giorgione. 

No. 642. G. B. Moroni. Portrait of Giovamii Pa?i- 
tera. 

A spirited portrait. Giovanni Antonio Pantera holds an 
open book, a treatise entitled " Monarchia di Cristo " which 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 133 

he published in 1535, and dedicated to King Francis I of 
France. 

No. 586. G. B. Moroni. Portrait of a Man. 

This fine likeness, signed and dated 1 563, is said to portray 
Secco-Suardi, a nobleman of Brescia. Critics deplore the 
recent restorations whereby the harmony of the colour scheme 
has been disturbed. Note the inscription Et quid volo, nisi 
ut ardeat. 

No. 629. G. B. Moroni. Portrait of a Scholar. 

Among the artist's works in this gallery, this is the finest 
character study. Note the shrewd thoughtfulness expressed 
in the close-knit brow, and the accessories rendered with 
almost photographic clearness. 

No. 613. Att. to Tintoretto. Portrait. 

An interesting head. The carefully characterized linea- 
ments point rather to the school of Paris Bordone ; possibly 
Becaruzzi. 

No. 607. Paris Bordone. Portrait of a Young Noble- 
man. 

The handsome youth has issued victorious from the 
tournament ; his lance rests behind him ; the victor's chap- 
let lies beside the helmet surmounted by Fortune ; and the 
reward of his valour is shown in the small inset picture of a 
lady receiving Cupid's message at her balcony. The nuptial 
ring is attached by a cord to the aiguillette, the symbol of 
service, upon which letters are visible, possibly their joint 
names. 

Second Venetian Hall 

A few unimportant works are omitted. 

No. 1568. Bartolommeo Vivarini. 5. Louis of Tou- 
louse. 

A good example of the primitive Venetian school. 

No. 1562. Jacopo Bellini. The Virgin and Child. 

A fine painting, one of the few pictures known to exist by 
this master, the father of Giovanni Bellini. 

N o. 5 8 5 b is . Car p acc 10. The Fi7iding of th e Tru e Cross. 

A fragment of a larger composition, representing probably 
the Crucifixion. The figure of the youth seated looking 
upwards at the high priest is very striking. 

No. mi. MANTEGNA. Triptych—The Adoration of the 
Magi, The Circumcision, The Ascension. 



134 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

This exquisite composition, without doubt one of the most 
masterly achievements of Mantegna's youth, was executed 
under the influence of his kinsmen, the Bellini. The " Pre- 
sentation in the Temple " is conceived with statuesque 
dignity ; note the group of the aged Simeon and the Virgin 
and Child. The gesture of the little lad beside them, turn- 
ing to hide his face in his mother's dress, adds the familiar 
note to the sacred episode. The " Adoration of the Magi " 
is no less remarkable for brilliancy and felicitous grouping of 
the figures. An exquisite landscape. 

No. 94. Giovanni Mansueti. Christ Among the 
Doctors. 

A forerunner of Giovanni Bellini. The scene is laid in a 
noble court, recalling that of the Doges' Palace at Venice. 
The Oriental garb expresses the "international character of 
the street life of mediaeval Venice with notable fidelity ". 

Nos. 630, 621. Giorgione. The Judgment of Solomon, 
The Child Moses Undergoes the Ordeal by Fire. 

These beautiful little compositions are Giorgione's earliest 
known works, and are the sole paintings of which the ascrip- 
tion has never been questioned. Executed at seventeen 
years of age, the distinctive characteristics of Giorgione's 
art, his brilliancy, the graceful grouping of his figures and an 
exquisite sense of natural beauty, are already conspicuous. 

No. 622. Giorgione. Portrait of a Knight of Malta. 

Despite unfortunate restoration about the head, this is one 
of Giorgione's finest works. The glow of the amber flesh 
tints gives additional value to the sombre tones of the drapery. 

No. 628. Bonifazio Veneziano. The Last Supper. 

The brilliant scene, framed in a delicate setting of white 
marble, is typical of Venetian art. 

No. 631. Giovanni Bellini. a Sacra Conversazione." 

Bellini's fancy has full scope in this beautiful composition 
which we may interpret as an allegory of the birth of Christian- 
ity, and the sway of Venice over Eastern nations. The 
Virgin is enthroned with S. Catherine crowned, and another 
female Saint (possibly the Magdalen) wearing the character- 
istic Venetian garb, a black shawl. The Christ-Child and 
His brethren are at play beneath the tree of Life. Asceticism 
and Martyrdom, prefiguring the Christian virtues, are symbol- 
ized by two nude figures, the hermit S. Onofrio, and S. Sebas- 
tian ; whilst S. Paul — the Church — stands by S. Joseph 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 135 

outside the balustrade, typifying the union of the old and 
new order. The Shepherd with his flock typifies the Venetian 
people ; the Centaur in his cave, Paganism in the Venetian 
Greek possessions ; and the Turk and Arab, seen moving 
away, symbolize the Eastern nations under her rule, and 
complete the terms of the allegory. Note the beautiful 
landscape with a Venetian nobleman's country residence 
amid the cypresses. 

No. 583. Vincenzo Catena. Pieta. 

A fine composition in grisaille, highly finished, and formerly 
attributed to Giovanni Bellini. 

No. 574. Bernardino Licinio. The Virgin and Child 
with S. Francis. 

Fine landscape. 

No. 1025. Mantegna. The Virgin and Child, "Ma- 
donna of the Quarries ". 

Scarcely inferior to the great triptych (No. mi), this ex- 
quisite little work possesses all the delicacy of a miniature, 
combined with the spaciousness of a vast composition. Note 
the pursuits of agriculture and house building depicted with 
microscopic minuteness in the background. Vasari, men- 
tioning this work, relates. that Francesco dei Medici numbered 
it among his dearest possessions. 

No. 354. Giovanni Bellini. Portrait. 

This characteristic and interesting head, formerly in the 
collection of Painters' Portraits, was believed from the inscrip- 
tion to be the artist himself. Note the colour contrast of 
the bright auburn hair against the blue sky. 

No. 584. Bissolo. The Virgin and Child with S. Peter 
and the Donor. 

Formerly attributed to Cima da Conegliano. Brilliant 
colour characterizes this work. The donor, a nun with a 
child in swaddling clothes, suggests its having been painted 
for a foundling hospital. 

No. 645. G. Savoldo. The Transfiguration. 

A fine work. . The only example of this artist in Florence. 
His art was strongly influenced by Giovanni Bellini. 

No. 584 bis. Cima da Conegliano. The Virgin and 
Child. 

A strikingly coloured painting. Note also the graceful 
attitudes of the mother and Child. 

No. 3390. Tintoretto. Portrait. 



136 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

A powerful likeness. The red scarf across his shoulders 
makes an effective colour-note. 

No. 575. Lorenzo Lotto. The Holy Family with SS. 
Anne, Joachim, and Jerome. 

Signed and dated 1534 ; a very charming work. S. Anne 
is a most attractive figure ; note the tender devotion of her 
gesture. 

No. 639. Venetian School. Sixteenth century. Por- 
trait. 

Formerly ascribed to Moretto of Brescia, this spirited 
though somewhat darkened likeness is possibly by Lorenzo 
Lotto. 

No. 592. Sebastiano del Piombo. The Death of 
Adonis. 

A fine early work executed at the beginning of the six- 
teenth century. Venus and her nymphs are grouped in a 
beautiful Venetian landscape, wherein we recognize the city 
of Venice, including the Doges' Palace. 

No. 579. Paolo Veronese. The Annmiciation. 

A very charming representation. The grey-white archi- 
tecture mingles harmoniously with the delicate rose and 
blue colour-sc-heme of the draperies. The movement of the 
Angel is graceful, if somewhat theatrical. 

No. 155. Venetian School. Early sixteenth century. 
Portrait of the Poet Teofllo Folengo, " Merlin Coccaio " 
(1491-1544). 

Teofllo Folengo was born near Mantua in 1491. He 
joined the Benedictines at the early age of sixteen, but soon 
wearied of monastic life and left his Order with a young and 
beautiful girl Girolama Diedo. His title to celebrity rests 
upon a poem which he published under the name of" Merlini 
Coccai poetae Mantivani Macaronices libri XVII," whence 
arose the name of a burlesque metre styled " macaronic 
rhyme ". This fine portrait, however, shows us an older 
man than Folengo, who was little more than fifty-two when 
he died. 

No. 619. Palm a Vecchio. Judith. 

This painting is a replica of the picture in S. Maria della 
Salute at Venice. Compare the dramatic force of Cristo- 
fano KWon's Judith (Pitti, No. 96). 

No. 1524. Titian. Mater Dolorosa. 

A late work, recalling the painting in the Prado at Madrid. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 137 

No. 617. Tintoretto. The Marriage Feast of C ana. 

This is a copy by the artist himself of the larger composi- 
tion in the Church of S. Maria della Salute at Venice. 

Nos. 174, 175. Bernardo Bellotto. Landscapes : 
Sunset amid Ruins and Sunset over the Lagoons. 

These very charming and fantastic little scenes glow with 
warm colour, especially No. 175. This is the nephew and 
pupil of Antonio Canale-Canaletto, whose name he adopted. 
His best work is at Dresden. 

Nos. 1064, 1077. Antonio Canale-Canaletto. Land- 
scapes : The Ducal Palace and the Grand Canal, Venice. 

Two beautiful compositions. The Doges' Palace glitters 
in the sunlight. A marvellous golden and pale blue sheen 
suffuses the water. 

No. 1520. G. B. Tiepolo. Portrait of a Page. 

An attractive picture. The attribution to a French 
eighteenth-century artist of Greuze's school is suggested. 

No. 1 52 1. G. B. Tiepolo. The Erection of a Statue. 

The decorative centre panel of a ceiling. The lightness 
and grace of the figures cannot be appreciated in its piesent 
position. 

No. 1522. G. B. Tiepolo. Cupids Flying. 

This graceful little composition is also the fragment of a 
ceiling. 

Nos. 1570, 1 57 1. Francesco Guardi. Landscapes. 

The Lagoon and the Canals of the Brenta are both rendered 
with characteristic charm. Note the cool grey colour- 
scheme. 

No. 3388. Tintoretto. Leda. 

This early work distinctly recalls his Venus and Vulca?i 
(Pitti, No. 3). The familiar type of the handsome Venetian 
courtesan is, however, portrayed with commendable restraint. 

No. 599. Titian. Portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga, 
'Duchess of Urbino (1493- 15 50). 

The Consort of Francesco- Maria I della Rovere, the 
daughter of Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua, is por- 
trayed here at the age of some forty-four years. Titian's 
admiration for her beauty and intellectual gifts is manifest in 
the frequent reminiscences of her type, notably the Venus 
(Uffizi, No. 1 1 17) and the Bella (Pitti, No. 18). A masterly 
delineation, this is perhaps the artist's finest female portrait. 
The mountain scenery of Urbino, seen from the open window, 



i 3 8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

is charming. The conjugal virtues of the Duchess are symbol- 
ized by the white and brown spaniel beside her. 

No. 605. Titian. Portrait of Francesco-Maria I delta 
Rovere, Duke of Urbino (1491-1538). 

A superb portrait of this great soldier, statesman, and 
patron of Art and Letters. The Duke died at the early age 
of forty-seven, poisoned, it was believed, by Pier Luigi Far- 
nese, the son of Pope Paul III. Portrayed in his armour as 
the victor in a tournament, the oak-sapling of the Delia 
Rovere, with their motto " se sibi," stands beside his lance. 

No. 596. Paolo Veronese. Esther before Ahasuerus. 

A magnificent composition ; the fine grouping can best be 
appreciated from a distance. 

No. 595. Jacopo Bassano. The Painter's Family. 

Jacopo Bassano is seated between his two sons, Francesco 
and Leandro ; their wives and children, handsomely arrayed, 
are grouped around them. The faces are forcibly character- 
ized, notably an old couple of attendants in the right corner. 

On an Easel 

No. 626. Titian. Flora. 

A deservedly admired work of Titian's early period, about 
1 5 1 5. The beautiful though perhaps not very refined features 
of the sitter are said to portray Violante, the daughter of 
Palma Vecchio. Note the warm tone of the white robe and 
amber-flesh tints to which the amethyst-coloured cloak over 
one arm gives a distinctive value. 

Passing through the Third Tuscan Hall into the Corridor 
we enter the 

Second Tuscan Hall 

The paintings in this room, though of unequal value, cover 
a brilliant period of Florentine painting. The least important 
works are omitted. 

No. 1264. Franciabigio. The Virgin and Child, with 
the Baptist and the Prophet fob. 

Painted, as Vasari records, for the " Compagnia di San 
Giobbe ". 

No. 1 26 1. Jacopo Chimenti (L'Empoli). S. Yves, 
Guardian of the Fatherless. 

The artist's best work. The composition is striking and 




gs 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 139 

dignified. S. Yves in the robes of the gonfaloniere — Standard- 
bearer of Florence — receives the petitions of widows and 
orphans. This picture was painted in 16 16. 

No. 1280. Francesco Granacci. The Virgin giving 
her Girdle to S. Thomas. 

This painting is one of the artist's finest works. The figures 
of the Apostle and S. Michael are very beautiful. 

No. 81. Piero di Cosmo. The Virgin and SS. Peter 
and Antonine, Archbishop of Florence, John the Evangelist, 
Philip Benizzi, Founder of the Servite Order, and SS. 
Margaret and Catherine Kneeling. 

Vasari states that this fine painting was commissioned for 
the Tebaldi Chapel in the SS. Annunziata. It is notable as 
one of the earliest representations of the Immaculate Concep- 
tion. The composition, apart from the close characterization 
of the heads, is instinct with poetic charm ; note the land- 
scape with a representation of the Nativity and flight into 
Egypt. 

No. 1 28 1. Vasari. Portrait of Alessandro dei Medici. 

This spirited portrait was presented by the artist himself 
to Duke Alessandro (151 1-37), who gave it to his son-in-law 
Ottaviano dei Medici in 1537. 

No. 1257. Filippino Lippi. The Adoration of the Magi. 

In this finely coloured but somewhat crowded composition 
we behold the altar-piece commissioned in 1496 by the Friars 
of San Donato a Scopeto to replace Leonardo's unfinished 
painting (compare No. 1252). The Medici portraits of the 
junior line are interesting. The old man in the yellow furred 
robe holding a quadrant is Pier- Francesco the Elder, the son of 
Lorenzo, a younger brother of Cosimo II Vecchio. The youth 
proffering a jewelled cup is Pier-Francesco the Younger, his 
grandson. Giovanni dei Medici, the younger son of the first- 
named Pier-Francesco, is depicted as the youthful king whose 
crown a page is removing. ' 

No. 1268. Filippino Lippi. The Virgin Enthroned with 
SS. Victor and John the Baptist, Bernard and Za?iobi. 

One of his most impressive early paintings. Note the 
Angels crowning the Virgin and scattering roses. The Saints 
are vigorously depicted, especially S. Bernard and S. Zanobi 
who wears a beautiful amethyst-coloured cope. 

Nos. 1283, 1238. Botticini. Descent from the Cross, 
Predella with Scenes fro?n the Gospels, Christ and the 



i4o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Woman of Samaria, The Ejection of the Money-changers 
from the Te?nftle, The Entry into Jerusalem. 

This artist, so influenced by greater painters as to merge 
his art in theirs, is noted for his delicate colouring. The 
predella scenes are especially noteworthy for their brilliancy 
and for the grace of the small figures. 

No. 1 27 1. Angelo Bronzino. The Descent of the 
Saviour i?ito Limbo. 

This colossal work, dated 1552, displays to the full the 
baleful influence exercised upon his contemporaries by 
Michelangelo's " sculptural " genius. Painted for the Zan- 
chini family chapel in Santa Croce, the picture was removed 
by the patron Leopoldo Ricasoli on account of its inappro- 
priateness for a church, and presented to the Gallery in 1821. 
Vasari names Pontormo, II Bachiacca, and other Florentines 
among the Saints delivered from Hell, and " Madonna 
Costanza, the wife of Giovan-Battista Doni, still living in 
his day, and Madonna Camilla Tebaldi del Corno " as the 
two beautiful female figures in the foreground. This picture 
was singled out for especial execration by Ruskin. 

No. 1 1 12. Andrea del Sarto. "Madonna delle 
Arpie." 

Deep religious feeling is united with stateliness in the 
fine grouping. We recognize the familiar features of Lucrezia 
del Fede in the Virgin. Its recent restoration has been 
the subject of much criticism. The reliefs of sphinxes, or 
harpies, on the pedestal give the picture its name. 

No. 1265. Fra Bartolommeo. Holy Family. 

This colossal unfinished work was commissioned in 15 12 
by the Gonfaloniere P. Soderini for the Council Hall of the 
Palazzo della Signoria. Uncompleted at the painter's death 
in 1 5 17, Ottaviano dei Medici caused the picture to be taken* 
to the Church of San Lorenzo, whence it was brought to the 
Gallery. Vasari has just praise for this fine work which, had 
the artist lived to finish it, would have proved his masterpiece. 
Fra Bartolommeo is said to have portrayed himself in his 
Dominican habit among the ten Patron Saints of Flor- 
ence. 

No. 44. Mariano Graziadei. The Holy Family with 
S. Anne. 

This picture is the only known work by this artist, a pupil 
of Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 141 

No. 1254. Andrea del Sarto. S. James with Two 
Children. 

Commissioned by the Compagnia di San Jacopo (known 
as " II Nicchio " or shell, from the Saint's attribute) as a 
processional banner for the children of the Confraternity. 
Highly and deservedly praised by Vasari. 

No. 27. Giovanni Biliverti. The Chastity of 
Joseph. 

A good example of the non-religious sacred art of the 
seventeenth century. 

Nos. 1275, 1277- Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. Miracles 
of San Zanobi. 

These two brilliantly coloured compositions are the artist's 
best pictures. Notable not only for their warm transparent 
colour and expressive figures, they are interesting for their 
accurate representation of mediaeval city life. In No. 1275, 
wherein the Saint resuscitates the child fallen out of the win- 
dow, we recognize the precincts of Santa Croce. No. 1277, the 
translation of the Saint's remains from San Lorenzo to the 
cathedral, depicts a prodigy commemorated by the pillar 
which stands to this day beside the baptistery. The saint's 
bier touched the branches of a dead tree which forthwith 
burst into leaf. 

No. 1259. Mariotto Albertinelli. The Visita- 
tion. 

The painter's masterpiece, this picture is one of the finest 
existing representations of the subject. Note the beautiful 
colour and the simple dignity of the composition. 

No. 93. Andrea del Sarto. " Noli Me Tangere" 

This beautiful early work, whilst revealing the faults of 
a still immature technique, is yet fraught with earnestness 
and depth of feeling. Note the very beautiful Magdalen. 

No. 1279. Sodoma. S. Sebastian. 

A work, in Vasari's words, " truly beautiful and worthy of 
praise ". The pathetic and graceful figure personifies the 
beauty of sorrow. Note the beautiful landscape in which 
the Lombard influences of his early life are perceptible. 
Formerly used as a processional banner for the Compagnia 
di S. Sebastiano di Camollia, this fine painting borne aloft in 
the streets of Siena must have been most impressive. Painted 
in 1525. 



142 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Room of the Maps of Tuscany 

These interesting wall-paintings of the topography of 
mediaeval Tuscany were brought to light in 1906. Two fine 
panels of Flemish tapestry with episodes in the lives of the 
Caesars decorate the end wall, against which are set up the 
antique sculpture, No. 320, the Genius of Death, No. 228, 
Bacchus and Ampelos (restored by Michelangelo), and No. 
1 50, the Young Nero (?). The pictures are displayed upon 
easels. 

No. 1300. Piero della Francesca. Portraits of 
Federigo II Montefeltro, First Duke of Urbino (1444-82), 
and his Consort, Battista Sforza (1446-72). 

If these two beautiful panels, the doors of a tabernacle or 
triptych, were painted to commemorate the marriage in 1459 
of Federigo and Battista Sforza, the placid-looking matron 
whose delicate features contrast so strongly with the eagle 
profile and steel-trap jaw of her lord has little to remind us 
of the thirteen-year-old child wedded to the soldier three 
times her senior. The exquisite landscape depicts the 
country-side of their joint possessions in Romagna and 
Umbria. The allegories represent the Triumph of Fame 
and Chastity. The Duke is seated upon a car drawn by 
white horses ; Victory holds the crown above his head, and 
he is accompanied by the four Cardinal Virtues of Prudence, 
Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance ; whilst that of the 
Duchess, horsed by unicorns symbolizing Purity, is conducted 
by Love, and it carries the figures of Hope, Innocence, Faith, 
and Charity. 

Nos. 1563, 1564. Melozzo da Forli. The Archangel 
Gabriel. The A nnunciation. 

The sole specimens in Florence of this great master's art. 
The figures of the Virgin and Archangel form one of the most 
ideal conceptions of the mystic scene. The half-figures of 
two Saints on the back (of which the upper portions have 
disappeared) represent SS. John the Baptist and Benedict. 
They are drawn with vigour, and convey a sense of power akin 
to Signorelli's art. 

No. 1558. Fiorenzo di Lorenzo. The Virgin with 
SS. Peter and Paul, and on the outer panels SS. Sebastian 
and Anthony Abbas. 

Purchased in 1905 and unfortunately much damaged. The 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 143 

small, delicately drawn figures on a gold ground possess much 
beauty. 

No. 1308. Venetian School. Fifteenth century. 
Curved Pedestal, Reading-desk Decorated with Representa- 
tions of Petrarch's Triumphs. 

The Trimnph of Fa?ne. The car, surrounded by poets 
and philosophers, is drawn by elephants and distinguished by 
scrolls with their names. 

The Triumph of Love. 

The Triumph of Religion is represented by God the 
Father with the Saviour in Paradise surrounded by Angels 
and Saints. 

The Triumph of Death. The car is drawn by black 
horses, preceded by knights riding and peasants on foot, 
to mark the equality of mankind before death. 

We retrace our steps through the Second Tuscan Hall to 
the 

First Tuscan Room 

A large number of unimportant paintings here are 
omitted. 

Nos. 1 168, 131 1, 1313, 1314. Lorenzo di Credi. The 
Virgin with S.John, " Noli Me Tangere" Christ with the 
Woman of Samaria, The Annunciation. 

These four charming compositions once surrounded a 
wooden crucifix in the Church of San Gaggio. They are of 
unequal merit, Nos. 131 1 and 1168 being the best. The 
incident of the sorrowing Virgin with S. John in a beautiful 
landscape is treated with great tenderness. 

No. 1220. Pontormo. Portrait of a Man. 

A spirited portrait, vigorously modelled. 

No. 1 185. Vasari. The Prophet Elisha. 

This carefully composed little picture is a sketch for the 
altar-piece of San Pietro Cassinese at Perugia, represent- 
ing the miracle of the Prophet Elisha sweetening the waters 
(2 Kings 11. 19-22). 

No. 3413. Att. to Piero di Cosimo. Portrait. 

An interesting, thoughtful head, formerly supposed to be 
the portrait of Andrea del Sarto by himself. 

No. 1 195. Zuccheri. The Golden Age. 

This attractive composition with its numerous small figures, 
painted with miniature-like delicacy, recalls the younger 



144 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Breughel in finish. The companion paintings, No. 121 5, 
an Allegory, and 1200, the Silver Age, are inferior. 

No. 1 161. Fra Bartolommeo. The Presentation in the 
Temple, The Nativity. 

An early work. These exquisite little panels formed, as 
Vasari records, the doors of a tabernacle for a bas-relief by 
Donatello of the Virgin and Child, ordered by the Florentine 
merchant Piero del Pugliese ; on the outer panels is the 
Annunciation in grisaille. 

No. 1 198. PONTORMO. The Birth of S.John the Baptist. 

Gifts to women in childbirth were proffered on these 
platters. The birth of the Baptist was the subject usually 
chosen. 

Nos. 1162,1178,1184. FraAngelico. The Birth of S. 
John the Baptist, The Espousal of the Virgin, The Pass- 
ing of the Virgin. 

These beautifully painted little scenes formed part of the 
predella for his fine Coronation of the Virgin, No. 1290. 

No. 1230. Andrea del Sarto. Portrait of a Gentle- 
woman. The artist's wife (?). 

Her familiar features recur in many of the artist's works — 
notably in the " Disputa" (Pitti, No. 172). 

No. 1217. Perugino. Portrait of a Youth. 

Formerly ascribed to Lorenzo di Credi. A charming 
likeness but marred by restoration. 

No. 3450. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. 
Portrait of a Lady. 

This striking likeness was formerly attributed to Piero 
della Francesca, whose manner the sharply drawn profile 
against a sky-blue ground distinctly recalls. 

No. 1 167. Filippino Lippi. Portrait of an Old Man. 

An interesting fragment of a fresco formerly ascribed to 
Masaccio. 

No. 1 169. Domenico Puligo. Portrait of Pietro Came- 
secchi. 

This fine picture, formerly ascribed to Andrea del Sarto 
and supposed to portray a friend of his, clerk to the monastery 
of Vallombrosa, is now said to represent Pietro Carnesecchi, 
the Florentine statesman and scholar. Carnesecchi was one 
of the leaders of the Italian Reformation ; convicted of heresy 
and imprisoned in Rome, he was executed in 1 567, despite 
the efforts of Cosimo I to save his life. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 145 

No. 3461. Lorenzo di Credi. Portrait of a Youth. 

The attractive pensive figure is delicately painted. Note 
the charming landscape. 

No. 34. Lorenzo di Credi. Portrait of a Young Man. 

An attractive likeness formerly believed to be that of Credi 
himself. 

No. 30. Antonio Pollaiuolo. Portrait of Galeazzo- 
Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (1444-76). 

This interesting though sadly damaged likeness has been 
identified with the portrait of Galeazzo as entered in an in- 
ventory of 1553 of the pictures in the Palazzo della Signoria. 
The vigorous modelling and the care bestowed upon acces- 
sories — gold chain, etc. — place this picture amongst the 
Pollaiuolo brothers' best works. 

No. 1 1 53. Antonio Pollaiuolo. Hercules Slaying the 
Hydra, Hercules Strangling Antceus. 

Vasari records three compositions of the Labours of Her- 
cules. The praise he awards to the larger work is well 
deserved by these beautiful miniature replicas executed 
about 1460 and originally the property of Lorenzo dei 
Medici. 

No. 1241. G. B. Rosso ("II Rosso Fiorentino "). 
A?2gel Playing the Guitar. 

This charming fragment probably formed part of an altar- 
piece of the Virgin and Child. 

No. 1 183. Alessandro Allori. Portrait of Bianca 
Caftftello, Wife of Francis I dei Medici (Fresco). 

The portrait was painted by this versatile artist on a wall in 
1871. 

No. 1 165. Cristofano Allori. The Infant Christ on 
the Cross. 

Change in public taste favoured symbolism in religious art 
rather than direct representation. This early instance of the 
atonement may therefore be regarded as a landmark. 

No. 3414. Tuscan School. Fifteenth century. Por- 
trait of a Lady. 

Said to portray Caterina Sforza, a natural daughter of 
Galeazzo- Maria, Duke of Milan, who married as her second 
husband Giovanni di Pier-Francesco dei Medici. Giovanni 
" Delle Bande Nere," her son, was the father of Cosimo I. 

No. 1227. Angelo Bronzino. Portrait of Bianca Caft- 
pello. 



i 4 6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

An allegorical representation of the Youth's Dream is 
painted on the back. 

No. 1 1 73. Angelo Bronzino. Venus and Cupid. 

A delicately painted mythological scene. 

Nos. 1203, 1207. Tuscan School. Portraits of Petrarch 
and Dante. 

No. 1205. Girolamo Genga. The Martyrdom of S. 
Sebastian. 

Transparent colour and a keen sense of natural beauty 
are salient features of "this painter's art, which was strongly 
influenced by Signorelli. Dated about 1498. 

No. 131 2. Piero di Cosimo. Perseus Delivering Andro- 
meda. 

Vasari's general praise is excessive, but certain minor epi- 
sodes and single figures possess great charm. 

No. 121 1. Angelo Bronzino. The Dream of Felicity. 

A happily conceived composition of many small figures. 
The Virtues crowning Felicity are especially good. 

No. 1244. Manzuoli ("Maso da San Friano "). Por- 
trait of Elena Gaddi-Quaratesi. 

A spirited little portrait unfortunately hung in an indifferent 
light. 

No. 1 1 89. Angelo Bronzino. Portrait of Eleonora 
de Toledo, Wife of the Grand-Duke Cosimo I. 

Vasari describes this portrait as " painted for the Grand- 
' Duke and placed in his closet ". 

The Tribune 

This fine hall was intended by the Grand-Duke Francis I 
for the gems of his collection of pictures. Here are 
placed also the Venus dei Medici (No. 342). This ex- 
quisite Greek statue by Cleomenes, son of Apollodorus, 
was found in Hadrian's villa at Tivoli in the sixteenth 
century and taken to the Medici villa on the Pincio. Brought 
to Florence, together with the " Knife Whetter " and the 
"Wrestlers," by Cosimo III about the year 1677. The 
Wrestler by a Greek artist (No. 343). The Dancing Faun 
(No. 344), attributed to Praxiteles ; the head and arms re- 
stored by Michelangelo. The small Apollo, known as 
UApollino (No. 345), to distinguish it from that of the 
Belvedere, is probably also by Cleomenes, and the Knife 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 147 

Whetter, also a specimen of Hellenic art (No. 346). The 
distributions of the paintings has followed the changes of 
critical taste in the course of centuries. 

No. 1 141. Albert Durer. The Adoration of the Magi. 

This is the first large composition entirely by Diirer's own 
hand prior to his first sojourn in Italy. The figures are 
perhaps crowded, but the colour and wealth of detail are 
admirable. The features of the second king reproduce the 
artist's own likeness. 

No. 285. Perugino. Portrait of Francesco delle Opere. 

This fine likeness, one of Perugino's most characteristic 
delineations, was long thought to be the artist's own portrait. 
Francesco delle Opere, who died at Venice in 1496, was the 
brother of the Florentine artist Giovanni, surnamed " delle 
Corniole " for his talent as a sculptor of intaglios. 

No. 1 135. Bernardino Luini. The Beheading of S. 
fohn the Baptist. 

A fine work, long attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. 

No. 1 1 1 5. Van Dyck. Portrait of/oh?i de Montfort. 

This masterly likeness of the burly Spanish nobleman is 
one of the artist's most powerfully characterized works. The 
heavy features are treated with great distinction. John de 
Montfort was Master of the Mint and Great Chamberlain to 
the Archduke Albert (15 59-1 621), Stadtholder of the Low 
Countries for King Philip II of Spain. 

No. 1 108. Titian. The Venus of the Tribune. 

This superb work (the companion picture, No. 11 17, is the 
finer of the;two) was painted about 1 547 for Francesco- Maria I, 
Duke of Urbino. The likeness is that of Titian's daughter 
Lavinia. Brought to Florence and placed in the Tribune so 
early as 1646. 

No. . Perugino. The Virgin and Child with SS. 
fohn the Baptist and Sebastian. 

The expression of the Virgin is marked by great tender- 
ness. 

No. 1 107. Daniele da Volterra. Massacre of the 
Innocents. 

An impressive composition, notable for the vigorous and 
scientific grouping of the numerous small figures. 

No. 1 121. Veronese School. Fifteenth century. Portrait 
of Elisabetta Gonzaga, Wife of Guidobaldo I Montefeltro, 
Duke of Urbino. 



I 



148 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

This very interesting portrait, formerly ascribed to Man- 
tegna, is the companion picture to the likeness of the Duke 
(No. 195, Pitti), although far superior as a work of art. 
Elisabetta Gonzaga was a gifted princess whose Court be- 
came the centre of literary and artistic renown. Her virtues 
and grace were celebrated by Pietro Bembo, the humanist, 
who spent several years of his life at the Court of Urbino. 

No. 1 1 3 1 . Raphael. Portrait of Pope Julius II ( 1 440- 

I * I 3)- 

Raphael, in this masterly delineation, lays bare the very 

soul of the soldier Pontiff. Unflinching against all obstacles 

whether set by man or by fate in the path of his ambition, 

appear those stern steel-grey eyes, whose glance could strike 

terror into the bravest. A despot in every sense of the term, 

the patronage of Julius II left an imperishable stamp upon 

his age. This superb likeness, which shows us Pope Julius at 

the age of 71 was painted about 1511, and is probably the 

original of the several replicas dispersed in public and private 

collections. That of the Pitti, No. 79, is held to be the 

best. 

No. 1 1 24. Francia. Portrait of Evangelista Scappi. 

This striking likeness is the painter's masterpiece in 
portraiture. The modelling of the expressive face is more 
subtle here than is usual with Francia, and contrasts forcibly 
with the delicate landscape. Note the fine sixteenth-century 
frame. 

No. 1 1 17. Titian. Venus of Urbino. 

This masterly study of the nude is carried out with restraint 
and distinction. A certain general resemblance, together 
with the little spaniel lying upon the couch, have suggested 
the identity of the very attractive figure with the Duchess 
Eleonora, wife of Francesco- Maria della Rovere, for whom 
the picture was painted in 1573. 

No. 1 1 20. Raphael. Portrait of a Gentlewoman. 

This portrait, executed probably about 1 505, belongs to 
Raphael's early period. The features show many points of 
similarity with the two fine female likenesses of Maddalena 
Doni and " La Donna Gravida" (Nos. 59 and 229, Pitti), es- 
pecially the former. The hands are modelled with notable 
force, the details and colouring of the draperies being treated 
with conspicuous breadth and finish. 

No. 582. MORONI. Portrait of a Man. 




POFE JULIUS II 
From the painting by Raphael in the Uffizi Gallery 



P- 148 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 149 

An interesting head, probably the fragment of a larger 
painting.' 

No. 1 1 40. Rubens. Hercules betweefi Vice and Virtue, 

An uninteresting but brilliantly coloured work. 

No. 1 123. Sebastiano del Piombo. Portrait of a 
Woman. 

This fine portrait, painted about 15 12, was formerly errone- 
ously identified with Raphael's " Fornarina " (Pitti, No. 245). 
We note here all the artist's best qualities, restraint in com- 
position and warm, deep colour. The contrast of the auburn 
hair and pale flesh tints with the richly embroidered fur- 
trimmed bodice is most effective. 

No. 1 132. Venetian School. The Head of S.John the 
Baptist. 

Formerly ascribed to Correggio. 

No. 1 125. Franciabigio. The Virgin and Child, com- 
monly styled " La Madonna del Pozzo ". 

The transparent colour and graceful composition led to the 
former attribution of this charming work to Raphael. Epi- 
sodes in the life of Christ are depicted with much grace in 
the pleasing landscape. 

Nos. 1 126, 1 1 30. Fra Bartolommeo. The Prophets 
Isaiah and Job. 

These striking figures formed the wings of the vast 
triptych, the centre panel of which — the Saviour with the 
four Evangelists — is at the Pitti (No. 159). The influence of 
Michelangelo upon Fra Bartolommeo's art, during his sojourn 
at Rome, is strongly marked in these works. 

No. 1 127. Raphael. S.John in the Desert. 

This striking work of Raphael's later period is entered in 
the Palace inventory of 1589. 

No. 1 129. Raphael c The Virgin of the Goldfinch (" Ma- 
donna del Cardellino "). 

Together with the "Madonna del Granduca" (Pitti, No. 
266) and the picture at the Louvre, " La belle Jardiniere," 
this exquisite work forms a trio of unrivalled loveliness and 
spirituality. The Virgin and the Child taking the goldfinch 
from the youthful S. John are in Vasari's words, " so well 
painted and with so much care that they seem of living 
flesh. . . . Our Lady has an air full of divine grace, . . . 
and all the rest of the work is most beautiful ". Raphael 
painted this picture in Florence in 1 506 as a wedding-gift for 



iSo FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

his friend Lorenzo Nasi. Damaged in the earthquake of 
1547, which wrecked the Nasi Palace, the panel, br6ken in 
several pieces, was carefully restored by Giovan-Battista Nasi, 
the son of Lorenzo. 

No. 1 133. Annibale Caracci. A Bacchante. 

Titian and his school painted Venus asleep or reclining. 
Caracci, fifty years later, shows a new development of the 
nude in art. The movement of the Bacchante rising from 
her couch is most graceful. 

No. 1 1 34. Correggio. The Virgin Adoring the Child. 

This charming little early work is noteworthy for Correg- 
gio's suavity, characterized by the maternal love rather than 
devout adoration expressed in the Virgin's attitude. 

No. 1 1 18. Correggio. The Flight into Egypt. 

This fine composition, a study for the " Madonna della 
Scodella" at Parma, is, according to expert authority, the 
centre panel of a triptych executed for the Franciscan com- 
munity at Correggio, the artist's birthplace. 

Nos. 1 138, 1 142. Lucas Cranach. Adam a?id Eve. 

The Museum at Brussels possesses two pictures resem- 
bling these fine paintings in important particulars. The artist 
treats the nude here with marked distinction and delicacy. 
Signed with the painter's mark and dated 1528. 

No. 197. Rubens. Portrait of Isabella Brandt. 

A beautiful portrait of the artist's first wife. The delicate 
modelling of the face and hands places this picture among 
the artist's best feminine likenesses. The rich dark tones 
of the dress and diaphanous lace about the collar and cuffs 
of the sitter are rendered with a masterly touch. Rooses 
believes the painting at Windsor to be a replica of this 
picture. 

No. 1 143. Jacobsen (Lucas of Leyden). The Man of 
Sorrows. 

An impressive work. 

No. 1 104. Spagnoletto. S.Jerome. 

A fine painting though somewhat darkened. 

Hall of the Italian Schools 

This room contains a large number of small paintings of 
minor importance. We mention only the following : — 
No. 3417. Boltraffio. Head of a Youth, Narcissus (?). 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 151 

An exquisite little work. Note the melancholy expression 
of the profile, "Sorrow more beautiful than Beauty's self". 
Observe also the landscape. 

No. 1002. CORREGGIO. The Virgin and Child, with 
Angels. 

A delicate little work, formerly ascribed to Titian. 

No. 1096. Parmegianino. The Virgin and Child with 
SS. John, Zachariah, and Mary Magdalen. 

No. 1 03 1. Caravaggio. Medusa. 

A wooden shield used at tournaments. This repulsive 
composition displays the excesses to which the pursuit of 
realism led the artists of the Eclectic school. 

No. 30 bis. Ambrogio de Predis. Portrait. 

The modelling is forcible and the accessories treated 
with a miniature-like finish. Note the heavily embroidered 
doublet. 

No. 1016. CORREGGIO. Head of a Child. 

No. 1032. L. Mazzolini. The Virgin and Child with 
SS. Anna, Joachi7n, and John the Evangelist. 

Charmingly grouped. This painter is notable for his rich 
clear colour. 

No. 1034. Mazzolini. The Circumcision. 

No. 1038. Garofalo. The Annunciation. 

This artist also was a colourist of much distinction. " 

No. 1559. Lorenzo Costa. S. Sebastian. 

A fine painting but unfortunately restored. 

No. 1557. Cosimo Tura. S.Dominic. 

An excellent work. The subtle modelling and severe folds 
of the draperies are characteristic. 

No. 100. L. Mazzolini. The Nativity. 

Very charming. 

No. 1572. Maineri. Christ Bearing His Cross. 

A noteworthy example of the Pre-Correggio Parma school. 

No. 995. L. Mazzolini. The Massacre of the Innoce?zts. 

A striking composition with many little figures. 

No. 1005. Salvator Rosa. Landscape. 

The sunlight effect amid characteristic mountain scenery 
is very beautiful. 

No. 1060. Tintoretto. Portrait. 

A charming miniature portrait painted with conspicuous 
breadth and vigour. 

No. 1095. Marco Palmezzano. The Crucifixion. 



iS2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The figures of the Virgin and Holy Women are strik- 
ingly grouped. 

Dutch School 

This collection was formed in a great measure by the 
Grand-Duke Cosimo III, and contains a number of very 
charming works of the later Dutch and Flemish schools, 
though few are of first-rate importance. We mention only 
the following : — 

No. 854. Franz Mieris. The Fortune Teller. 

One of Franz Mieris' best works. 

Nos. 837, 870. Heemskerk the Elder. Portraits of 
an Old Man and an Old Woman. 

No. 969. Cornelius Bega. The Lute Player. 

No. 858. Jan Breughel (Breughel de Velours). 
A Landscape. 

An exquisite little work. Note the small figures amid 
charming woodland scenery. 

No. 3449. Van Huysum. Flowers. 

An exquisite piece of work remarkable for variety and 
delicacy. 

No. 981. Franz Mieris. The Painter and his Family. 

Vrouw Mieris, wearing a violet fur-trimmed gown, is 
seated drinking from a glass held towards her by her young 
son. Her elder daughter, in a wonderfully painted white 
satin gown, turns to her father who is playing with a monkey. 

No. 878. Poelenburg. View of Rojne. 

The artist is exceptionally well represented in the collection. 
Note this among his most effective pictures. 

Nos. 884, 904. Jan Breughel (De Velours). The 
Four Elements, A ir and Fire, Earth and Water. 

Brilliantly painted, with a wonderful wealth of detail, 
especially the first mentioned. 

No. 892. Peter Breughel the Elder. The Way to 
Calvary. 

The scene is interpreted with characteristic fanciful realism. 
Note the quaint group of goblins. 

No. 897. Berkheyden. The Groote-Kirk at Haarlem. 

Depicted with photographic fidelity. 

No. 941. Franz Mieris. The Courtesan. 

Painted with an exquisite minuteness. Presented by the 
artist to Cosimo III. 



^ 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 153 

No. 918. Gabriel Metsu. Lady Playing the Guitar. 

No. 865. Steenwyck. The Death of S.John the Baptist. 

The figures are by Franz Francken. 

No. 972. Gabriel Metsu. Hunter and Lady. 

A spirited composition and one of his best works. 

No. 928. Peter Breughel the Elder. Country 
Fete. 

The quaint figures are set amid most attractive wooded 
scenery. 

No. 926. Gerard Dow. The Pancake-Seller. 

A characteristic work, delicately finished. 

No. 934. Godfried Schalcken. Girl Sewing by 
Candle-light. 

A very striking effect of chiaroscuro. 

No. 945. Franz Mieris. The Midday Meal. 

The expression of the old folk is singularly true to life. 
Note the accessories, flower-pot and victuals, depicted with 
rare finish and delicacy. 

No. 957. Gaspar Netcher. A Sacrifice to Love. 

The attitude of the young lady playing the guitar is most 
graceful. 

No. 952. Mieris. The Aged Lover. 

The inscription, " Gold is not the master this time ! " adds 
an amusing significance to the episode. 

No. 879. Herkules Seghers. Landscape. 

A superb work formerly attributed to Rembrandt and to 
Ruysdael. Note the wonderful atmospheric effect and sense 
of space. 

No. 953. Rachel Ruysch. Fruit and Flowers. 

The artist's best work ; dated 171 1. Compare No. 961. 

No. 958. Gerard ter Borch. A Dutch Gentlewoman. 

This fine painting has been engraved under the name of 
" The Woman Drinking ". 

No. 960. Hendrik G. Pot. The Miser. 

A striking figure forcibly presented. The miser's expres- 
sion is rendered with singular felicity and truth to nature. 

No. 977. Jan Steen. The Repast. 

The group of diners is well characterized. Note especi- 
ally the figures listening to the fiddler and his party. 

No. 891. Van der Heyden, View of the Rathhaus of 
A jnster dam. 

One of the artist's best works. 



i54 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 978. Adrian van Ostade. A Peasant with a 
Lantern. 

The lantern-light produces a striking effect of chiaroscuro. 

No. 985. Adrian van der Werff. The Adoration of 
the Shepherds. 

A very charming composition, and one of the artist's best 
works. 

On an Easel 

No. 882. Ruysdael. After the Storm. 

The effect of sunshine upon the distant fields through the 
grey clouds and storm-tossed trees is most striking. An ex- 
cellent production. 

Flemish and German Schools 

A number of the least important paintings are omitted. 

No. 766. Albert Durer. Portrait of the Artist's 
Father. 

The worthy and God-fearing artisan is depicted here with 
evident filial deference by the young artist, scarcely out of 
his apprentice's articles. The achievement in maturity of 
technique — note the vigorous modelling of the face and hands 
— is therefore all the more remarkable. Signed and dated 
1490. 

No. 776. Peter Nelfs. Interior of a Church. 

A striking example of this artist's proficiency in achieving 
effective contrasts of light and shadow. 

No. 851. Albert Durer. The Virgin and Child. 

An interesting though not a first-rate example of this 
master. The painting is also known as the " Madonna of 
the Pear ". 

Nos. 768, 777. Albert Durer. The Apostles SS. fames 
the Great and Philip. 

Inscribed with the names of the Saints and dated 15 16, 
these paintings of a series of the Apostles are strikingly 
diversified and evidently drawn from life. 

No. 772. Elzheimer. The Angelic Vision. 

This interesting German minor artist displays the char- 
acteristic charm, and also the mannerism of the seventeenth- 
century school of Roman landscape painters. This is one of 
his best works. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 155 

No. 790. David Teniers the Younger. The Aged 
Lovers. 

Characteristic realism marks this work. 

No. 799. Att. H. Holbein the Younger. Portrait of 
Sir Thomas More. 

A sadly damaged but interesting portrait of the famous 
English statesman. 

No. 895. Lucas van Leyden. Portrait of the Infant 
Ferdinand of Spain (1 503-1 564) at the Age of Twenty -one. 

The second son of Duke Philip of Burgundy,* and the 
younger brother of the Emperor, Charles V, whom he suc- 
ceeded in 1588. The under-hung jaw, characteristic of the 
Burgundy and Hapsburg families, contrasts oddly with the 
sitter's amiable if irresolute expression rendered with evident 
fidelity. 

No. 779. Att. Quentin Matsys. S. ferorne. 

No. 794. Flemish School. Portrait of Viglius van 
Ayta de Zuichem. 

Ascribed formerly to Holbein, and erroneously identified 
with the great Swiss Reformer Zwinglius. The artist has 
given us a refined and pleasing likeness of the Privy Council- 
lor to the Emperor Charles V and King Philip II of Spain. 

No. 765. Hans Holbein the Younger. Portrait of 
Richard Southwell, Privy Councillor to King Henry 
VIII. 

This is a superb work, remarkable for breadth combined 
with exquisite finish. Note the subtle modelling of the face 
and hands. Inscribed with the date "X. Jul. H. VIII. 
XXVIII " and the age of the sitter. 

No. 788. Christopher Amberger. Portrait of Cam- 
illas Cross. 

This fine painting is the single authentic work by this 
master in Italy. It is an excellent likeness of the wealthy 
Augsburg merchant, also portrayed by Paris Bordone. 

No. 792. Abraham Mignon. Fruit and Flowers. 

Skilful technique almost amounting to sleight of hand dis- 
tinguishes this painter's art. Note the exquisite bloom on 
the grapes. 

No. 812. Rubens. Venus and Adonis. 

A highly finished and decorative work, probably the 
sketch for a larger composition. 

Nos. 821, 839. Bernard van Orley. Portraits. 



„ 



156 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

That of the gentlewoman (No. 839) is the more striking 
work. 

No. 845. LUCAS Cranach. Portraits of the Electors 
John and Frederic of Saxony. 

These vigorously drawn and very life-like portraits are 
signed and dated 1583. 

No. 829. Vinckeboom. Landscape with Skaters. • 

This is a charming little winter scene in Holland. The tiny 
figures are full of life. 

No. 847. Lucas Cranach. Double Portrait of Luther 
and Melanchthon. 

Companion pictures to No. 845 ; dated 1545. 

Nos. 822, 838. Lucas Cranach. Portraits of Luther 
and His Wife Catherina Bore. 

The painter gives us a subtle character study in the like- 
nesses of the great Reformer and his wife ; doubtless painted 
with photographic fidelity. 

No. 783. Van Dyck. The Virgin and Child Sur- 
rounded by Angels. 

The cool grey tones of the grisaille confer a distinctive 
charm to the scene. 

No. 842. Rubens. The Three Graces. 

A graceful and interesting sketch in grisaille for a larger 
composition. 

Flemish and German Schools 

This room, like the preceding, but indifferently lighted, 
contains only a few important paintings. 

No. 1 1 59. Flemish School. Sixteenth century. Medusa: 

This striking but somewhat repulsive composition was 
formerly attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Vasari's descrip- 
tion of a painting of Medusa in the possession of Duke 
Cosimo I must, according to Prof. Bode, have inspired this 
anonymous Flemish artist. 

NOS. 654, 669. COURTOIS (IL BORGOGNONE). Battle 

Scenes. 

These compositions were, it is said, commissioned by 
Prince Matthias dei Medici, the brother of Ferdinand II, to 
commemorate his military achievements. No. 654 depicts 
the assault upon the castle of Radicofani. 

No. 705. David Teniers the Younger, A Physician. 



^ 




I & 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 157 

The homely incident is rendered with marked realism. 

Nos. 729, 740 bis, 740,, 713, 713 bis, 784, 7^4 bis, 724. 
Kulmbach. Scenes from the Lives of the Apostles SS. 
Peter and Paul. 

These brilliantly coloured paintings, formerly ascribed to 
Schauffelein, are now rightly given to this notable artist, a 
pupil of Albert Diirer whose influence is strongly marked. 
No. 713, showing S. Peter walking upon the waters of the 
Sea of Galilee, is the finest of the series. Note the beautiful 
scenery. 

No. 730. Hendrik Bles (II Civetta). The Coppet 
Mines. 

The painter's masterpiece. The working of that human 
ant-heap a mine has given the artist opportunity to display 
his marvellous skill in the grouping of the numberless small 
figures. The landscape glows with beautiful colour. Hen- 
drik Bles was accustomed to introduce a small owl in his 
pictures instead of a signature, hence his surname of Civetta. 

No. 731. Flemish School. Sixteenth century. The 
Adoration of the Magi. 

This decorative triptych was formerly attributed to Van 
Eyck. 

No. 733. Cornelis VROOM. A Sea Piece. 

Nos. 699, 709. Sustermans. Portraits : the Florentine 
Noble?nan Puliciani and his Wife. 

Both excellent portraits, especially No. 699. 

No. 704. German School. The Crucifixion. 

A forcibly grouped composition in a fine landscape. 
The donor, at the foot of the cross, a knight, and his family, 
are portrayed with conspicuous care. 

No. 714. Miel. Landscape with Figures. 

The artist was Court painter to the Dukes of Savoy 
(1650-64). 

French School 

This room contains few paintings of first-rate importance, 
and only the most interesting works are mentioned. 

No. 684. RlGAUD. Portrait of Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux. 

Rigaud painted this eminent French divine several 
times. 

No. 774. Claude Lorrain. Sunset by the Sea. 



158 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

A beautiful vision of Italian atmosphere and scenery, and 
one of Claude's best pictures. Tihe sunlight upon the waters 
is admirably rendered. 

No. 656. Att. Boucher. The Infant Christ with S.John 
and Angels. 

No. 695. Philippe de Champaigne. Portrait of Nicholas 
Fouquet (1615-80). 

A striking likeness of the celebrated Financial Secretary 
under Louis XIV, whose brilliant career came to an abrupt 
termination. Dismissed from office he spent the last nineteen 
years of his life in banishment. 

Nos. 672, 696. Grimoux. Youthful Pilgrims. 

Very charming little pictures, especially No. 696, which 
is said to be a likeness of the celebrated French actress, 
Marianne Botot Dangerville (1714-96). 

No. 677. Jouvenet. 5. Anne and the Virgin Read- 
ing. 

This sentimental theme has inspired much modern religious 
art. 

No. 848. Claude Lorrain. Landscape. 

A subtle rendering of the charm of the Roman Campagna. 
Included by Claude in the " Liber Veritatis ". 

No. 692. Simon Vouet. The Annunciation. 

No. 689. Francois Fabre. Portrait of the Countess of 
Albany (1752-1824). 

A fine likeness of Louise de Stolberg, Countess of Albany, 
married to Prince Charles-Edward Stuart, the Young Pre- 
tender, in 1772. A widow sixteen years later, she continued 
to reside in Florence until her death in 1824. Her romantic 
friendship with the poet Alfieri is attested by the sonnet 
inscribed with the poet's own hand at the back of this picture. 
The artist, Francois Fabre, was an intimate friend of both 
the Countess and of Alfieri. 

Nos. 651, 652, 653. COURTOIS. Battle Scenes. 

Characteristic but inferior paintings. Compare his more 
important works Nos. 654 and 669. 

No. 685. Charles Lebrun. The Sacrifice of Jefththa's 
Daughter. 

A finely coloured composition. Purchased in Paris by 
the Grand-Duke Pietro Leopoldo in 1763. The celebrated 
Mile, de la Valliere is said to be portrayed as Jephtha's 
daughter. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 159 

No. 689. Francois Fabre. Portrait of Vittorio Al- 
fieri. 

A notable work, the companion painting to No. 689. Pre- 
sented to the Gallery in 1824 by the artist after the Countess 
of Albany's death. At the back of the picture is a sonnet in 
Alfieri's own writing. 

No. 693. Nicolas Poussin. Venus and Adonis. 

A sketch for a larger work. 

No. 3460. French School. Portrait of Marguerite 
de Valois, the First Wife of Henri IV '(1 553-161 5). 

No. 744. Nicholas Froment of Avignon. Triptych — 
The Resurrection of Lazarus, Martha at the Feet of the 
Saviour, The Magdalen Anointing His Feet. Outside : 
The Virgin and Child and Three Donors. 

This interesting work enables us to compare the uncom- 
promising, almost painful realism of northern artists in the rep- 
resentation of sacred episodes with the idealizing grace of 
Florentine art. Nicolas Froment's best work is " The Burning 
Bush " in the Cathedral of Aix in Provence. The artist was 
Court painter to King Rene, whose likeness he painted. 

No. 667. Francois Clouet (dit Janet). Portrait of 
King Francis I of Fra?ice. 

One of several replicas of this artist's portrait of King 
Francis at the Louvre. The colour is clear and delicate. 
Note the details, armour, etc., executed with miniature-like 
finish. 

No. 670. Mignard. Portrait of Pauline de Grignan 
(1648-1705). 

A charming likeness, despite some unfortunate re-painting, 
of Mme. de Sevigne's beautiful daughter. 

No. 694. Dufresnoy. The Death of Socrates. 

A somewhat crowded composition. 

No. 674. Nicolas Largilliere. Portrait of the Poet 
f. B. Rousseau. 

A noteworthy example of this artist's skill. The colour 
contrast of the rose doublet and deep blue cloak and cap is 
most effective, whilst the interesting humorous countenance 
is rendered with notable subtlety. 

No. 697. La Hyre. S. Peter Healing the Sick. 

A good example of this painter's art. La Hyre was one 
of the twelve founders of the French Academy of Painters, 
under Cardinal Richelieu's auspices. 



i6o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



Second Corridor 

The ceilings of this and the third corridor are decorated 
by Cosimo Ulivelli and other seventeenth-century painters. 
Fine tapestry lines the walls, and the few pictures are placed 
near the Cabinet of Gems. Amongst the statuary note 
No. 3, the Doryphorus of Polycletus ; No. 138, "77 Giovane 
della Spina " (Youth with a Thorn in Foot), a replica in the 
Capitol, and No. 145, Venus Anadyo7iiene. 

Cabinet of Gems 

This collection was commenced by Lorenzo II Magnifico 
and continued by Ferdinand II and his successors. Amongst 
the numerous articles of virtu we note : two sardonyx vases 
with Lorenzo's name engraved ; the agate and rock-crystal 
fluted pillars and statues of the Apostles intended for the 
high altar of S. Lorenzo ; two bas-reliefs in gold on jasper, 
attributed to Cellini ; a plaque dated 16 19 of Cosimo II in his 
coronation robes ; a triangular tazza carved in a single 
emerald ; a gold statuette of Hercules by Mazzafirri ; a 
turquoise bust 2§ in. high of Tiberius, mounted in gold by 
Cellini. In the centre, a rock-crystal casket by Valerio 
Belli of Verona, with twenty-four scenes from the Life of 
Christ, the gift of Clement VII to Francis I upon his son's 
afterwards Henri IPs marriage to Catherine dei Medici. 

In the Corridor 

Nos. 681, 686. Pillement. A Seaport, A Storm at Sea. 

Charming gouache paintings. The grey and white colour- 
scheme is very luminous. Pillement was marine painter to 
Marie-Antoinette. 

Third Corridor 

The Halls of the Painters' Portraits, the Corridor leading to 
the Pitti, the Halls of Van der Goes, Rubens, Baroccio, 
Statuary and Inscriptions, Niobe, Giovanni di San Giovanni, 
and Miniatures and Pastels, open from this corridor. The 
paintings on the wall are of secondary interest only. We 
note however : — 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY i6j 

No. i 39 i. Sustermans. Portrait of Charles of Lorraine, 
Duke of Guise ( 1 57 1 - 1 640). 

Snyders. A Boar-hunt. 

Nos. 3403, 3405. Pourbus. Portraits of Louis XIII and 
his brother Gaston, Duke of Orleans, sons of Henri IV and 
Marie de Medicis. 

No. 98. Pompeo Battoni. Achilles at the Court of 
Lycomedes. 

No. 1584. ALESSANDRO Allori. Torquato Tasso the 
Poet (1544-95). 

No. 1532. Largilliere. James Stuart the Old Pretender, 
son of King James II, and his sister the Princess Louise. 

No. 1 181. Sustermans. Francesco dei Medici (1614- 

34). 

This Prince, the fourth son of Cosimo II, fought in Germany 
and died at Ratisbon of the plague. 

No. 145. Sir Peter Lely. Portrait. 

Admiral Lord Ossory, K.G., was Lord Deputy of Ireland 
(temp. Charles II). 

No. 142. Sir Peter Lely. Portrait. 

That distinguished soldier, Prince Rupert, Prince Pala- 
tine of the Rhine, was the grandson of James I, created 
Duke of Cumberland (1619-82). 

The Painters' Portraits 

Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici initiated this unique collection 
with the purchase of the paintings belonging to the Accademia 
di S. Luca at Rome. The Grand-Duke Pietro Leopoldo 
acquired Abate Pazzi's collection in 1768, and the series of 
artists' likenesses is being continued to our day. The early 
English school is only tolerably well represented. The recent 
re-arrangement has resulted in the removal of a number of 
inferior works, so that the remainder are now seen to better 
advantage, notably the French eighteenth-century artists. 
Several of the portraits mentioned possess an historical rather 
than artistic value. 

Room I 

Early English Artists 

No. 752. George Romney. 
Painted with great spirit. 
11 



162 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 783. Hogarth. 

Full of character. 

No. 540. Sir Joshua Reynolds. 

Painted in 1775, a striking work. 

No. 713. Gavin Hamilton. 

A delicate pastel. 

No. 546. Richard Cosway. 

Water-colour and pencil. 

No. 494. Jas. Northcote. 

Brilliant colour. 

No. 510. Sir Godfrey Kneller. 

No. 230. Sir Peter Lely. 

German Artists, Fifteenth to Eighteenth Century 

No. 442. Zoffany. 

No. 434. Albert Diirer. 

A replica of the Madrid portrait signed and inscribed in 
German, " Painted from myself, when I was six-and-twenty ". 

No. 232. Holbein. 

In black chalk on paper. A doubtful attribution despite 
the signature. 

No. 471. Angelica Kauffinann. 

A very charming and graceful likeness. 

No. 436. George Pencz, surnamed the " Paris Bordone " of 
the North. 

Brilliantly coloured. 

No. 224. Lucas Cranach. 

A fine likeness, inscribed with the artist's mark, a winged 
dragon and his age, J7 years. 

No. 535. Liotard. 

An interesting pastel portrait inscribed " Le peintre turc ". 

Spanish Artists, Seventeenth Century 

Nos. 216, 217. Velasquez. 

Fine, though not first-rate works ; the authenticity of No. 
217 is dubious. 

French Artists, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century 

No. 497. Vivien. 

A fine pastel. 

No. 53. Nanteuil. 

A good likeness ; the artist was also a noted engraver. 

No. 542. Coypel. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 163 

No. 474. Rigaud. 

A spirited work. Note the fine deep colour. 

No. 473. J. F. de Troy. 

No. 549. Mme. Vigee le Brun. 

One of the most attractive portraits in the collection, full of 
youthful gaiety. She is shown as engaged upon a portrait of 
Queen Marie-Antoinette. 

No. 479. F. de Troy. 

No. 485. Le Brun. 

No. 512. Callot. 

Best known by his engravings of fantastic scenes, pageants, 
etc., with innumerable minute figures. 

Room II 

Flemish and Dutch Artists ', Fifteenth to Seventeenth 
Century 

No. 223. Van Dyck. 

Painted with great spirit. 

No. 462. Antonis Mor. 

A fine likeness. Mor was Court painter to King Philip II 
of Spain. 

No. 445. Franz Pourbus the Younger. 

The artist was a favourite with the royal Princes of France 
and Tuscany, whom he portrayed frequently. 

Nos. 976, 890, 455. Mieris. 

The favourite painter of Cosimo III. No. 976 is the best 
likeness. 

No. 441. Gerard Hondhorst. 

Surnamed " Gerardo delle Notte " from the fantastic light- 
ing of his pictures. 

Nos. 233, 228. Rubens. 

Two excellent portraits. No. 288 is the finer work. 

No. 238. Jordaens. 

A vigorous delineation. 

No. 437. Douven. 

Court painter to the Elector-Palatine John William, and 
his consort Anna-Maria Lodovica dei Medici, whose likeness 
he is showing. 

Nos. 432, 451. Rembrandt. 

Between these indifferent works, and in superb contrast, is 



1 64 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

placed the magnificent likeness of the artist, brought from the 
Pitti (Pitti, No. 60). 
No. 218. Sustermans. 

Room III 

Florentine Artists, Fifteenth to Seventeenth Century 

No. 1 1 76. Andrea del Sarto. 

A superb likeness. The artist painted his own picture re- 
peatedly (No. 280), and Pitti (Nos. 66, 118, 184 (?) ). 

Nos. 306, 1248. Baccio Bandinelli. 

The latter is the better painting. The artist is best known 
as a sculptor, the pupil of Michelangelo. 

No. 290. Michelangelo. 

The work of one of his pupils. 

No. 280. Andrea del Sarto. 

Vasari records how the artist, having some colour left after 
completing another portrait, summoned his wife to paint her 
picture. But on her demurring and Andrea " deeming his 
end to be near, he took a mirror and painted himself". 

No. 292. Leonardo da Vinci. 

A contemporary copy probably of an original portrait of 
Leonardo, now lost. 

No. 1584. Taddeo Gaddi, Zenobi Gaddi, Agnolo Gaddi. 

Fourteenth century. Characteristic heads of Giotto's pupils 
and followers. 

No. 1 163. Verrocchio, painted by Lorenzo di Credi. 

This is one of Verrocchio's most notable works. Cleaning 
revealed the identity of this portrait with the likeness engraved 
by Vasari. Erroneously described formerly as a portrait of 
Luther by Holbein. 

No. 291. Vasari. 

An interesting likeness of this man of many talents, painter, 
architect, and writer. 

No. 286. Filippino Lippi. 

One of the most attractive pictures here. Painted in 
tempera on terra-cotta. 

No. 269. Alessandro Allori. 

An interesting head. 

No. 271. Buontalenti. 

The architect of Francesco I, who designed the Tribune of 
the Uffizi. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 165 

No. 294. Pietro da Cortona. 

The Grand-Duke Ferdinand II commissioned this artist 
to decorate the ceilings of the Halls of Apollo, Venus, Mars, 
Jupiter, and Saturn at the Pitti. 

No. 262. Carlo Dolci. 

The artist holds a paper with another likeness, dated and 
inscribed to " His Most Revd. Highness ". This was his 
patron Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici, the founder of the col- 
lection. 

No. 312. Poccetti. 

This artist designed the ceiling decoration of parts of the 
First Corridor and the small Rooms adjacent to the Tribune. 

No. 263. Cristofano Allori. 

A vigorously modelled head. Compare with that of Holo- 
phernes in his fine painting of Judith (Pitti, No. 96). 

No. 305. Giovanni di San Giovanni. 

A spirited likeness. The artist's best work is at the Pitti, 
the ceilings of the suite of ground-floor rooms. 

No. 300. Tiberio Titi. 

This painter's best claim to notice is his charming infant 
portrait of Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici (Pitti, No. 49). 

Room IV 

Bolognese, Roman, Venetian, and other Italian Artists, 
Fiftee?ith to Seventeenth Century 

No. 396. Guercino. 

Nos. 360, 374. Annibale Caracci. 

Vigorous likenesses. 

No. 402. Domenichino. 

No. 405. Guido Reni. 

An interesting head, painted with much distinction. 

No. 288. Raphael. 

This charming portrait may be dated about 1506. The 
picture remained in the possession of Raphael's uncle, Simone 
Ciarla, at Urbino. Purchased by the Academy of S. Luke 
at Rome, this portrait was included in the collection bought 
by Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici. 

A number of miniature portraits on copper fill a large 
frame, that of Giulio Clovio being the finest. 

No. 276. Zuccheri. 

This artist was Court painter to the Dukes of Urbino, Guido- 



1 66 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

baldo II (Portrait, Pitti, No. 138) and Francesco-Maria II 
(Uffizi, No. 1 1 19). 

No. 406. Jacopo Bassano. 

A vigorous likeness. 

No. 378. Tintoretto. 

A striking work, but not of the quality of his other com- 
positions. 

Nos. 384, 384 bis. Titian. 

These likenesses are replicas of the fine Berlin portrait. 

No. 150. Romanino. 

This eminent artist's finest work is at Brescia and Verona. 
Represented here only by a small picture (No. 578). 

No. 407. Francesco Bassano. 

No. 395. Leandro Bassano. 

No. 373. Pordenone. 

A powerful head. 

No. 275. Luca Giordano. 

This artist surnamed " Fa presto " on account of his facility, 
is seen to the best advantage in decorative work, notably 
the fine fresco in the Delia Crusca Hall in the Palazzo Ric- 
cardi. 

No. 209. Salvator Rosa. 

A good portrait (compare Pitti, Nos. 2 and 188). 

Room V 

Italian Artists \ Nineteenth Century 

No. 523. Hayez. 

No. 708. Boldini. 

No. 729. Domenico Morelli. 

Room VI 

British Artists ; Nineteenth Century 

No. 585. Watts. 

No. 722. Alma Tadema. 

No. 746. Holman Hunt. 

No. 764. Sargent. 

No. 588. Millais. 

No. 600. Leighton. 

No. 714. George Richmond. 

No. 538. Hayter. 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 167 

No. 623. Poynter. 
No. 715. Orchardson. 
No. 724. Herkomer. 

Room VII 

German and French Artists, Nineteenth Century 

No. 518. Overbeck. 

No. 571. Franz Winterhalter. 

No. 584. Lehmann. 

A fine work. 

No. 779. Lenbach. 

An excellent portrait. 

No. 785. A. Besnard. 

A portrait of the artist and his wife. 

Nos. 774, 594. Bonnat. 

No. 721. Bouguereau. 

No. 718. Fantin-Latour. 

No. 531. Ingres. 

No. 618. Henner. 

No. 682. Corot. 

A charming likeness of the great landscape painter. 

No. 713. Louis David. 

A replica of the portrait at Versailles. 

No. 621. J. P. Laurens. 

No. 589. Puvis de Chavannes. 

No. 611. Ernest Hebert. 

Room VIII and the passage leading to the Corridor con- 
tain no portraits of interest. 

The Corridor, over a mile long, leading to the Pitti opens 
from the next door. In pursuance with recent alterations, the 
remainder of the Painters' Portraits line the first portion. 
Then follows an artistically worthless but historically most 
interesting collection of Portraits of Eminent Personages. The 
collection was initiated by Cosimo I with the series copied by 
Cristoforo Papi, surnamed " L'Altissimo," from the likenesses 
authentic and traditional of Celebrities formed by the scholar, 
Mgr. Paolo Giovio, Bishop of Nocera, for his monumental 
work of Universal Biography upon the lines of Plutarch's 
" Lives of Great Men ". The series numbers over 500 portraits, 
to which many more were added at later dates, thus forming 
a vast International Portrait Gallery of Popes, Rulers, Pre- 



1 68 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

lates, Soldiers, Scholars, Statesmen, Cavaliers, and Ladies of 
Quality, of surpassing historic interest. Cosway's portrait of 
the Corsican Patriot, General Paoli (No. 131), deserves a 
more favoured place, and the same may be said of a charming 
child-portrait (No. 12 13) of the unfortunate Don Carlos, the 
son of King Philip II of Spain by his first wife Mary of 
Portugal. 

We re-enter the Corridor proceeding to the 

Hall of Van der Goes 

The contrasting qualities of Northern and Italian religious 
ideals in fifteenth-century Art are forcibly displayed in this 
choice collection, of which every picture merits attention. 

No. 698. Hendrik Bles. The Virgin and Child En- 
throned. 

This exquisite composition was formerly ascribed to Van 
der Goes. Opening from a richly decorated portico, a charm- 
ing view of wooded park-land, a castle, etc., is painted with 
the most delicate finish. 

No. 237. Quentin Massys. Double Portrait of the 
Artist and his Wife. 

Both likenesses are remarkable for careful modelling, that 
of Massys himself being the more subtle. 

No. 762. Just van Cleef. Pieta. 

The sorrowing Virgin is beautifully characterized by a 
realism widely different from that of contemporary Italian 
Art. 

Nos. 761, 761 bis. Breughel the Younger and 
Albert Durer. Diptych, The Way to Calvary. 

This masterly drawing in grisaille by Albert Durer, dated 
1 505, was copied in colour by Breughel, to whom it belonged, 
in 1604. The copy enables us to appreciate the science of 
the composition, the charming details of the landscape, and 
the tumultuous movement of the numberless tiny figures. 

No. 703. Hans Memling. The Virgin and Child En- 
throned with Two Angels. 

No contemporary Italian artist has produced a composi- 
tion uniting in the same degree the majesty of religion with 
the familiar grace of domestic life. A castle standing in 
park-land, and to the right of the throne a yeoman's home- 
stead symbolize religious equality alike in stately and 



^^^^— 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 169 

humble homes. Vasari records a picture commissioned at 
Bruges by the elder Cosimo. In beauty and exquisite 
finish, this painting rivals the great Bruges triptych, " The 
Marriage of S. Catherine ". 

Flemish School. Fifteenth century. Portraits of Pier- 
Antonio Bonciani and his Sister Maria Baroncelli. Wings 
of a triptych. 

Delicate finish characterizes the likenesses, formerly at- 
tributed to Peter Christus, of these benefactors of Santa Maria 
Nuova. Note the charming landscape and the care bestowed 
upon the accessories. The Annunciation is painted in 
monochrome on the back. 

No. 708. Att. Gerard David. Adoration of the Magi. 

No. 906. Flemish School. Fifteenth century. The 
Crucifixion. 

The scene is set amid mountain scenery of striking beauty. 
Note the grouping of the holy women at the foot of the 
Cross. 

No. 801 bis. School of Memling. Portrait of a 
Youth. 

No. 846. Gerard David. The Descent from the Cross. 

A " Pax ". On the obverse, figures of Adam and Eve are 
engraved on gilt copper. Executed with miniature-like 
finish. Note the enamel and gold antique frame. 

No. 1525. Van der Goes. The Adoration of the 
Shepherds — Triptych. 

This is the artist's most important work. The vigour and 
brilliancy of his art exercised a notable influence upon 
Florentine painting, revolutionizing the methods of those 
artists. This vast composition was commissioned at Bruges 
about the year 1476 by Tommaso Portinari. This repre- 
sentative of the Medici in Flanders desired to commemorate at 
once the birth of his daughter Margaret and the connexion 
of his family with the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, 
founded two centuries earlier by Folco Portinari, the father 
of Dante's Beatrice. The scene is set amid typical Flemish 
surroundings. The shepherds with their expressive homely 
faces are of the quality of Ghirlandajo's peasant groups, and 
the angels if lacking in his grace, share the ethereal quality 
of Fra Angelico's conceptions. The accessories are fraught 
with symbolic meaning : the wheatsheaf signifies abundance, 
the scattered violet blossoms are sacred to the Earth-Mother, 



170 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

and the red lilies of Florence appear in a vase of Italian 
manufacture. The donors kneeling before their patrons, 
SS. Anthony Abbas and Thomas, Margaret, and Mary 
Magdalen, offer refined if not handsome types. The paint- 
ing has suffered somewhat from restoration, and the outer 
panels with the Annunciation are much damaged. 

No. 778. Memling. 5. Benedict. 

A subtle and expressive head. Said to portray the Bene- 
dictine Monk Benedetto, a kinsman of Tommaso. 

No. 780. Memling. Portrait of a Youth. 

An interesting likeness, formerly ascribed to Antonello da 
Messina. 

No. 795. Rogier van der Weyden. The Entombment 
— Triptych. 

This beautiful composition is one of the artist's finest works. 
The wings of the triptych depict Adam and Eve with 
kneeling figures of the donors. The minute finish of the 
heads and draperies merits careful study. 

No. 801. Memling. Portrait of a Youth. 

No. 769. Memling. Portrait of Tommaso Portinari (?) 
Praying. 

The open book bears the date 1442. The Portinari con- 
nexion with S. Maria Nuova, whence this fine portrait was 
brought, lends weight to the traditional assignation. The 
head is forcible ; compare with Tommaso Portinari (No. 
1525) ; note also the landscape. 

Hall of Rubens 

The best paintings only are mentioned. 

Nos. 140, 147. Rubens. Henri IV at the Battle of 'Ivry. 

These magnificent compositions formed part of the series 
illustrating the life of Henri IV, commissioned by Marie de 
Medicis for the Luxembourg Palace. Although unfinished, 
they are, unlike those at the Louvre, entirely by Rubens. 
Sent to Florence by the French Queen as a gift to her 
family. 

No. 1536. Jordaens. Portrait of a Widow. 

A notable work. The pleasing countenance is modelled 
with subtle care and delicacy. 

No. 1563. School of Van Dyck. Portraits of Lords 
fohn and Bernard Stuart. 





> 


i 




■Fv.3 


"^S^^t^ J 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 171 

No. 144. Van Dyck. Portrait of the Artist Sustermans'' 
Mother. 

An interesting study. 

Nos. 143, 146. Mierevelt. Portraits of a Lady and 
Gentleman. 

The pleasing features are rendered with marked distinction. 

No. 216. Rubens. Bacchanalia. 

A replica of the painting at St. Petersburg. Formerly in 
the collection of Queen Christina of Sweden and afterwards 
in that of the Duke of Orleans. 

No. 148. Gerard Hondhorst. The Revellers. 

A good example of this artist's fantastic colour-scheme. 
He imitated Caravaggio in his night effects. 

No. 147. Rubens. The Entry of Henri IV into Paris. 

Companion painting to No. 140, and the finer of the two. 
The King's portrait is the best likeness known of this 
monarch. 

No. 3400. Sustermans. S. Margaret. 

We recognize the familiar likeness of the artist's patron, 
the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere. 

No. 3415. Pourbus. Portrait of Louis XIII, King of 
France. 

Finely coloured. The King wears the green scarf of the 
military Order of S. Lazarus. 

Nos. 3424, 3426. Sustermans. Portraits of the Grand- 
Duke Ferdinand II and his Consort Vittoria della Rovere. 

Typical official portraits. 

Nos. 91, 1527. POURBUS. Portraits of Madame Elisabeth 
of France. 

This Princess, the daughter of Henri IV and Marie 
de Medicis, was married to King Philip IV of Spain. No. 
1527 represents her in Spanish Court dress. 

No. 196. Van Dyck. Portrait of Margaret of Lorraine. 

A fine portrait painted in 1634 at Brussels. The second 
wife of Gaston Duke of Orleans, her eldest daughter, Mar- 
guerite-Louise, married Cosimo III. " La grande Madem- 
oiselle " was her step-daughter. 

On an Easel 

No. 763. Sustermans. Portrait of Princess Claudia 
dei Medici. 

The eldest daughter of Ferdinand I, she was married 



172 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

first to Federigo Prince of Urbino (Pitti, No. 55), and 
secondly, 1625, to Leopold brother of the Emperor Ferdinand 
II. Carlo Dolci also painted her under the name of the 
Empress S. Galla Placidia (No. 207, 3rd Cor.). 

Hall of Inscriptions, Cabinet of the Hermaphrodite 

The two next Rooms contain notable examples of antique 
statuary, amongst them No. 306, Hermaphrodite, a fine 
specimen of Hellenic art purchased from the Ludovisi family 
by Ferdinand II in 1669. 

Hall of Baroccio 

Only the more important pictures are mentioned. 

No. 211. Andrea Salaino. The Holy Family. 

A charming replica of the fine painting by Leonardo da 
Vinci in the Louvre. Salaino was one of Leonard's most 
gifted pupils. 

No. 157. Gerard Hondhorst. The Holy Family. 

Note the striking illumination of the scene, worthy of the 
art of Rembrandt. 

No. 193. ALESSANDRO Allori. Portrait of Giuliano 
dei Medici (1478-15 16). 

This striking portrait is believed to be a copy of the 
likeness painted by Raphael and recorded by Vasari in 
the possession of Ottaviano dei Medici. The third son of " II 
Magnifico," Giuliano was noted for his amiable disposition. 
His tomb by Michelangelo is in San Lorenzo. 

No. 180. Rubens. Portrait of Hellne Fourment, the 
Artisfs Second Wife. 

We are familiar with her comely though scarcely refined 
likeness, introduced by the painter in all his later religious 
and mythological compositions (compare Pitti, No. 139). 

POURBUS. Portrait of Pierre Franqueville, Sculptor, 
of Cambrai (1 548-1618). 

A fine portrait, more vigorously modelled than his Royal 
likenesses. 

No. 163. Sustermans. Portrait of Galileo. 

This is one of the artist's most powerful delineations. 

Nos. 79, 169. Baroccio. " La Madonna del Popolo." 

The artist's greatest work and a masterpiece of colour. 
Commissioned by the Fraternita of Arezzo as a votive 
picture after the plague of 1579. We recognize the princi- 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 173 

pal buildings and churches of the city. The grouping of 
the beggars, peasant folk, etc., is carried out with masterly 
breadth. 

No. 162. GuiDO Reni. The Cumaean Sibyl. 

No. 1 1 14. GUERCINO. The Samian Sibyl. 

Commissioned by Matthias dei Medici in 165 1. 

No. . Carlo Dolci. The Magdalen. 

A beautifully coloured but insipid painting. 

No. . Gerard Hondhorst. The Adoration of the 
Shepherds. 

An impressive composition. The artist has once more 
had effective recourse to a fantastic play of light and shadow. 

No. 191. Sassoferrato. Mater Dolorosa. 

This popular work, notable for perfect technique, is also 
an example of the insipid sentimentalism then pervading 
religious art. 

No. 172. Bronzino. Portrait of Eleonora de Toledo, 
Wife of Cosimo I, with her Second Son, afterwards Ferdi- 
nand I. 

Biographers describe the identical dress worn by the 
Duchess at her State entry into Siena in 1570. The little 
figure in lavender-blue at her knee is one of the artist's 
prettiest child-portraits. 

No. 167. Bronzino. Portrait of a Gentlewoman. 

The pensive, delicate features, modelled with greater force 
than is usual with this artist, offer a marked resemblance 
with those of Margaret of Austria, natural daughter of 
Charles V and the widow of Alessandro dei Medici, who 
afterwards was married to Odoardo Farnese, and became 
Governor of the Netherlands for Philip II (1522-82). 

No. 204. AURELIO LUINI. The Virgin and Child, with 
SS. Anne, Margaret, a?id Mary Magdalen. 

Nos. 159, 154. Bronzino. Portraits of Bartolommeo 
Panciatichi, and his Wife Luisa Strozzi. 

These admirable likenesses may be regarded as the 
masterpieces of sixteenth-century Florentine portraiture. 
Vigorous composition, and warm colour reminiscent of 
Venice, are here united with a rare perfection of technique, 
that caused Vasari to exclaim that these portraits only 
lacked breath to give them life. 

No. 1 155. Bronzino. Portrait of Prince Garcia, 
Younger Son of Cosimo I. 



174 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The pretty little lad smiles at us with childhood's innocence. 
Note the gold-finch usually associated with the Christ-Child, 
here denoting the parents' love for their youngest born. 

No. 1 164. BRONZINO. Portrait of Maria dei Medici ) 
Daughter of Cosirno I. 

An attractive child-portrait. 

No. 1266. Bronzino. Portrait of a Man. 

Santi Alberighi, the son of Giovanni, surnamed " Delia 
Cammilla," a sculptor, is known to have carved a statue 
of Venus, and has been suggested for this portrait, which 
is remarkable for finish and distinction. 

No. 188. Andrea del Sarto. Portrait. 

Critics recognize here the single real likeness of the artist's 
wife, although he introduces her type in most of his religious 
paintings, either as the Virgin or a female saint. 

No. 1 144. Giulio Romano. The Virgin and Child. 

This charming composition possesses much of his master 
Raphael's grace. Unfortunately damaged by restoration. 

No. 1 1 19. BAROCCIO. Portrait of Francesco- Maria II 
delta Rovere, Duke of Urbino. 

We have here Baroccio's masterpiece in portraiture. This 
prince was noted for his amiability, perhaps too faithfully 
interpreted in the weak mouth and chin. The technique is 
faultless, and the accessories of dress and armour are admir- 
ably rendered. Francesco- Maria II survived his only son 
Federigo, whose daughter, Vittoria della Rovere, inherited all 
her grandfather's private wealth, whilst the Dukedom itself 
reverted to the Church. 

Four fine Florentine mosaic tables complete the decoration. 
The large octagonal table in the centre was commenced in 
161 3, and took twenty-five years to complete. 

Hall of the Niobe 

This handsome Hall was built in 1779 by the Grand-Duke 
Pietro-Leopoldo to contain the Sixteen Statues of Niobe and 
her Children, brought from the Gardens of the Medici Villa 
on the Pincio in 1772. The fate of the Niobids, who 
succumbed to the jealousy of Latona, is represented in art 
by groups of varying numbers, though Niobe, according to 
Homer, had twelve children. This superb statuary was dis- 
covered on the Esquiline amidst the ruins of the Temple of 



THE UFFIZI GALLERY 175 

Apollo and bought by Cardinal Ferdinand dei Medici in 1 583 
for 7938 gold florins. Note also in the centre the Medicean 
Vase, a beautiful example of Hellenic sculpture. The Hall 
contains some good Florentine tapestry. 

Hall of Giovanni di San Giovanni 

Only the more important paintings are mentioned. 

No. 3462. Angelica Kauffmann. Portrait of Stanis- 
laus-Augustus Poniatowski, King of Poland (1732-98). 

A brilliant portrait painted with much force and distinction. 

No. 305. Lampi. Portrait of Elisabeth, Princess of 
Wurtemberg. 

She was the first wife of Francis I, Emperor of Austria 
(1767-90). 

No. 3399. GuiDO Reni. Susanna and the Elders. 

Cabinets of Pastels and Miniatures 

The fine miniatures, drawings, portraits in pastel and on 
copper are worthy of close study. Note especially, in the 
first room, four exquisite Views of Rome in gouache by Van 
Vittel, surnamed " Gaspero degli Occhiali ". In the second 
Room : in the cases in the centre. 

No. 3491. Profile Portrait of the Emperor Frederic II 
(1212-50), painted on vellum. 

No. 2380. Francois Clouet. Portraits of Henri II, 
Catherine dei Medici and their Family. Painted on cop- 
per. Note also the beautiful enamel frame. 

Nos. 3363, 3364, 3365, 3366, 3367, 3368. Bronzino. 
Portraits of the Medici. 

These six cases contain the likenesses of all the prominent 
members of that House from Giovanni dei Bicci to Catherine 
dei Medici, and those of the Grand- Ducal line down to the 
artist's own day. Bronzino painted the contemporary por- 
traits from life, and they are numbered among his most 
successful works. 

The fine original drawings by the great masters, Italian 
and other, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries 
displayed in cases by the windows in the corridors should 
not fail to attract notice, 



176 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



Plan of the Pitti Galieet 



1 Hall of the Iliad 












2 Hall of Saturn 




6 




3 Hall of Jupiter 








4 Hall of Mars 








5 Hall of Apollo 








6 Hall of Venus 




5 




7 Room of the 

Education of Jove 










14 






4 




13 1 12 11 






- 


1 1 


xo 






3 






9 




8 Room of Ulysses 










9 Room of Prometheus 










lO Corridor of the Columns 


8 




2 




11 Room of Justice __ 






12 Room of Flora 

13 Room of the Putt 


Room! i 










i 


7 

Camera 

□ 
Delia Stufa 








14 Gallery of Poccetti. 

15 Entrance Hall and stairs 




1 




16 Vestibule to Corridor 








leading to the Umzi 












15 


| 


16 



THE PITTI GALLERY 

This historic and magnificent Picture Gallery is entered 
by a doorway under the northern arcade of the Palazzo 
Pitti, and is approached by means of the handsome new 
staircase and vestibule adcted by Del Moro in 1897. The 
Gallery itself occupies a finely decorated suite of lofty rooms 
on the first floor {piano nobile) of the palace, of which the 
front windows afford charming views of the city and the distant 
hills. The Grand-Duke Cosimo II, his consort the Arch- 
duchess Maria-Maddalena, and their sons, the Cardinals 
Leopoldo and Giovan-Carlo dei Medici, may be described as 
the principal founders of this splendid collection, which was 
greatly enhanced in size and value under Ferdinand II, whose 
marriage with Vittoria della Rovere of Urbino secured in 
addition the important artistic treasures of the House of 
Urbino. A generous patron of the arts and a willing donor 
to this Gallery was also found in Cosimo III, whose two 
sons, Ferdinand and Gian-Gastone, were likewise interested 
in enlarging the Gallery. By an agreement entered into 
between Gian-Gastone (the last Medicean Grand-Duke) and 
his sister the widowed Electress-Palatine, at the death of the 
latter in 1743, the contents of the Pitti Gallery were settled 
in perpetuity on the city of Florence, whilst the private 
collection of Dutch and Flemish pictures of the Electress 
was divided between the Pitti and the Uffizi. This arrange- 
ment was faithfully upheld by the succeeding Grand-Dukes 
of the House of Lorraine, and Pietro- Leopoldo I himself 
made some notable additions to this collection. During 
the French occupation of Tuscany several of the choicest 
paintings were removed to Paris in 1 799, but were restored 
in 181 5. The later purchases of Ferdinand III for this 
Gallery included the famous " Madonna del Granduca " by 
Raphael. The acquisition of the entire Gerini Collection in 

12 177 



1 78 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

1 8 1 8 necessitated the addition of another large hall, the Hall 
of the Iliads through which we first enter the present Gallery. 
Numerous alterations in the hanging of the pictures have 
been carried out in recent years, and many former ascrip- 
tions have been changed. In spite of the numerous reforms, 
however, the pictures themselves have not been re-numbered ; 
and, whilst it has been found advisable to follow the sequence 
of the official catalogue in their description, the order of the 
rooms has been inverted. The comparative scarcity in this 
collection of fifteenth-century paintings and the absence of all 
earlier works may be accounted for by a circumstance often 
overlooked. Much of the art of the T re-cento and Quattro- 
cento preserved in churches and convents disappeared with 
the suppression of religious houses. What remained has 
found worthy surroundings in the Accademia di Belle Arti 
and the Uffizi. 

Hall of the Iliad 

The ceiling of this, the first of the series of Halls, was 
adorned by Luigi Sabatelli and his son Francesco Sabatelli, 
with episodes from the Iliad of Homer. 

No. 184. Andrea del Sarto. So-called Portrait of 
the Artist. 

The unexpressive countenance and dull colouring render 
this work one of Andrea's least successful attempts at self- 
portraiture. 

No. 185. Giorgione. The Concert. 

This celebrated picture has also been ascribed to Titian, 
and the authorship of Giorgione is still disputed. The atti- 
tude of the friar seated at the clavichord glancing backwards 
at his companion with the lute, as though to compare the 
notes of the two instruments, has suggested a portrait of the 
Venetian friar, Fra Giovanni Spineto, the actual inventor of 
the spinet {circa 1 503). The heads of these two Dominican 
musicians are drawn with much force of character. Note 
also the beautiful hands of the player. 

No. 186. Paolo Veronese. Baptism of Christ. 

A decorative but somewhat uninteresting example of this 
painter. 

No. 188. Salvator Rosa. Portrait of the Artist (No. 
293)- 




5 ? 



THE PITTI GALLERY 179 

A quasi-replica of the painting in the Uffizi. 

No. 190. Justus Sustermans. Portrait of the Prince 
of Denmark. 

One of the best " royal portraits " by this prolific artist, 
Court painter to the Grand-Duke, the Emperor, and several 
other sovereigns. Born in 1646 Prince Christian was sent on 
his travels at the age of some sixteen years, succeeding his 
father Frederick III in 1670 as the first hereditary King of 
Denmark and Norway. Most successful in rendering his 
sitter's pleasing mien, thoughtful beyond his years, Suster- 
mans' dexterity in the treatment of accessories may be ap- 
preciated in the damascened armour set off by a brilliant blue 
and white sash. 

No. 191. Andrea del Sarto. The Assumption. 

This fine composition, the artist's last important work, 
remained unfinished at his death in 1 531. 

Bartolommeo Panciatichi had commissioned Andrea in 1 5 19 
to paint this picture for the city of Lyons to which he desired 
to leave a remembrance. The composition is impressive, 
and the colour warm and harmonious. Note the grace of 
the Angels grouped around the Virgin. The artist has 
portrayed himself as the Apostle leaning upon a book, to the 
left. Vasari, writing some thirty years later, records this 
painting " in the chapel " erected by Piero Salviati in the 
Baroncelli Villa. 

No. 192. Scipione Pulzone. Portrait of Marie de 
MedictSy Queen of France, Second Wife of Henri IV (1 593- 
1642). 

A pleasing likeness, though Marie de Medicis looks older 
than her years, for Pulzone died when she was only eighteen. 
She was married to Henri IV in 1600. 

No. 195. Veronese School. Fifteenth century. Por- 
trait of Guidobaldo I Montefeltre, Duke of Urbino. 

This interesting portrait, despite its sadly damaged con- 
dition, compels attention. Guidobaldo and his Duchess 
Elisabetta Gonzaga (companion portrait, Uffizi, No. 1121) 
initiated the tradition of patronage of Art and Letters at their 
Court which continued through changing dynasties for a 
century and a half. Henry VII conferred the Garter upon 
the Duke, in return for which he sent the King Raphael's 
painting of S. George and the Dragon, now at St. Petersburg. 

No. 198. Anonymous. Seventeenth century. Portrait. 



180 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

A striking portrait, until recently attributed to Velazquez. 

No. 200. Titian. Portrait of Philip II of Spain. 

A replica by the artist's own hand of the fine portrait at 
Madrid painted for Cosimo I. Philip 1 1 is depicted at the age 
of some twenty years. The pallid cheek and impassive ex- 
pression already connote the calculator whom fate was to 
pursue with relentless persistency. Titian read the character 
of his sitter with his customary insight. The grey and white 
tones of the dress strike a minor keynote of singular effective- 
ness. 

No. 218. Salvator Rosa. Portrait. 

A characteristic and powerful work. The charming land- 
scape background displays conspicuously the artist's sense of 
natural beauty. 

No. 202. Giovanni Biliverti. The Angel Refusing the 
Gifts of Tobias. 

Brilliantly coloured, purely secular, interpretations of sacred 
themes satisfied a public to whom the spirituality of an earlier 
age had become a sealed book. Grace and clear harmoni- 
ous colour characterize this composition ; according to Bal- 
dinucci, the artist's best work. 

Nos. 204, 206. Angelo Bronzino. Portraits of Francis 
I dei Medici and Bianca Capello. 

The refined but irresolute character of the prince who 
allowed his life to be swayed by the Venetian adventuress 
whom he made his wife is skilfully rendered. The companion 
painting if inferior in execution is no less telling as a character 
study (compare Uffizi, Nos. 1183, 1227). 

No. 160. Van Dyck. Head of the Virgin. 

The fragment of a larger composition. 

No. 371. ALESSANDRO Araldi. Portrait of Barbara 
Pallavicini. 

The resemblance of this charming portrait to the well- 
known lineaments of Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Milan, 
suggested the former ascription to a Lombard artist. Ales- 
sandro Araldi is a representative master of the early Parma 
school of the fifteenth century. 

No. 208. Fra Bartolommeo. The Virgin Enthro7ied 
and Surrounded by Saints. 

Fra Bartolommeo's sojourn at Venice shows its fruits in 
the magnificent colour-scheme and majestic grouping of this 
composition. The kneeling figure of S. Catherine is especi- 



THE PITTI GALLERY 181 

ally fine, and the angels playing on musical instruments yield 
but little to Raphael. The collaboration of Mariotto Alberti- 
nelli, Fra Bartolommeo's talented pupil, is discernible in the 
drapery. 

No. 209. Sustermans. Portrait of the Emperor Ferdi- 
nand II. 

This carefully studied likeness falls short of his other royal 
portraits. 

No. . ANGIOLO Bronzino. Portrait of Cosimo I 

Vasari describing this, to us, disappointing portrait, lays 
stress upon the likeness to " His Excellency at the age of 40 
years ". The impassive features give no hint of the master- 
mind concealed under the somewhat heavy expression. 

No. 215. Titian. Portrait. 

The alleged likeness of Don Diego de Mendoza, Ambassa- 
dor of the Emperor Charles V to the Venetian Republic, 
scarcely deserves Vasari's praise. " The very beautiful pre- 
sentment " is much darkened, but Titian has modelled the 
features and hands with characteristic subtlety. 

No. 326. Venetian School. Portrait of Pope Paul III 
(1 466- 1 549). 

A good replica of Titian's portrait at Naples. Cardinal 
Alessandro Farnese succeeded Pope Clement VII dei 
Medici. His pontificate was marred by the intrigues of his 
family, to whom the Pope sacrificed alike his peace of mind 
and reputation. 

No. 219. PiETRO PERUGINO. The Virgin Adoring the 
Infant Christ. 

A most attractive representation of a familiar theme. The 
scene is laid amid the blue-green hills of Umbria with char- 
acteristic charm. In the Virgin and the little S. John kneel- 
ing beside her, we recognize the prototypes of Raphael's 
earlier compositions. Though unfortunately restored this 
painting deserves to rank with Perugino's best work. 

No. 224. RlDOLFO GHIRLANDAJO. Portrait of a Gentle- 
woman. 

The transparent colouring, the delicate flesh tints, and the 
careful delineation of all the accessories proclaim the art of 
the Quattro-cento, whereof the artist's father, Domenico 
Ghirlandajo, was one of the leading Florentine exponents. 
The sitter's homely but agreeable features also recall certain 
of Raphael's female types. 



182 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 225. Andrea del Sarto. The Assumption of the 
Virgin. 

This fine work, which may be described as the companion 
picture to No. 191, was commissioned, according to Vasari, 
about the year 1526. The grouping is somewhat theatrical, 
but the female figures are instinct with artistic charm. The 
patron saint of the donor, Margherita Passerini, kneels beside 
S. Nicholas of Bari. 

No. 227. Carlo Dolci. S. Margaret. 

Dated 11 August, 1664. A typical example of secular 
portraiture under the guise of religious art. 

No. 228. Titian. The Saviour. 

This great artist's conception of the Divine lawgiver is 
admirably rendered in the Saviour's tranquil mien. The 
noble features stand out in bold relief against a typical blue 
and golden sky. This picture, executed about the year 
1532, ranks as one of Titian's finest achievements of a religi- 
ous character. 

No. 229. Raphael. Portrait, " La Donna Gravida ". 

This early work already foreshadows the master's genius. 
He invests the sitter's homely mien with an air of quiet dignity, 
the firm modelling of the features and characteristic short, 
plump hands showing distinctive insight. Note the delicate 
brush-work of the accessories, the inheritance from an earlier 
generation of artists. 

No. 230. Parmigianino. Madonna and Angels, " La 
Madonna del cello lungo ". 

The Virgin's swan-like neck has given its name to this paint- 
ing, the artist's best work. Vasari lays stress upon " that 
Manner of his " ; indeed, we detect already the mannerism of 
the later Renaissance that was to rob religious art of all its 
significance. The Virgin and attendant Angels are "full of 
grace," and the fine composition, in spite of admitted faults, is 
very charming. 

No. 144. G. Franco (II Semolei). The Battle of Mont e- 
murlo. 

Painted to commemorate the victory of Cosimo I in 1 537? 
whereby all overt opposition to his rule was finally broken. 
Vasari praises the artist's " fanciful " treatment of the subject, 
yet withholds credit for the figures filched, so he maintains, 
from Michelangelo's drawings. 

No. 369. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. 
" Ecce Homo:' 



THE PITTI GALLERY 183 

Formerly ascribed to Pollaiuolo. The landscape back- 
ground possesses great beauty. 

No. 232. Sustermans. Holy Family. 

This work unites the interest of the sacred theme with 
secular portraiture, a practice customary with the artists of the 
time. The Grand-Duchess Vittoria della Rovere is seated 
with her little son Cosimo by her side. The Prior, Dante da 
Castiglione, Chamberlain to the Grand-Duchess and tutor to 
the Prince, whom he accompanied in his later travels to Eng- 
land and Holland in 1669-70, is portrayed as S. Joseph. 

No. 237. Il ROSSO FiORENTlNO. The Virgin Enthroned 
and Surrounded by Saints. 

This fine composition — note the attendant Saints, especially 
S. Bernard — was placed in the Dei Chapel in S. Spirito as the 
substitute for Raphael's "Madonna del Baldacchino ". Now 
replaced by a copy by Petrucci. A brilliant and facile colourist 
though lacking in originality, Rosso dei Rossi v/as summoned 
to Paris by Francis I to decorate the Palace of Fontainebleau. 

A statue of Charity^ by Bartolini, stands in the centre, whilst 
four tables supporting vases of nero antico marble mounted in 
gilt bronze and silver, fine examples of seventeenth-century 
art, complete the decoration of this Hall. 

The Hall of Saturn 

The fine ceiling, ornamented with gilded stucco work, is 
painted by Pietro da Cortona. This, the last of the allegorical 
series illustrating the achievements of Cosimo I, represents 
him in mature years being led by Valour and Wisdom into 
the presence of Time to receive the Crown from the hands of 
Fame and Eternity. 

A few unimportant paintings in this room are not mentioned. 

No. 37. Paolo Veronese. Portrait of the Artist's 
Wife (?). 

An unpleasing but strikingly modern likeness, uncompro- 
mising in its realism. 

No. 148. DOSSO Dossi. Bambocciata, the Revellers. 

This composition might be entitled the " Rake's Progress," 
or the " Prodigal Son ". The youth holding a distaff and his 
companion proffering flowers are striking figures. 

No. 151. Raphael. Madonna della Seggiola, known also 
as Madonna della Sedia. 



1 84 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

This justly celebrated painting, so called from the chair in 
which the Virgin is seated, was brought to the Pitti so early 
as 1 589. A pretty legend surrounds the painting of the picture 
about 1 5 16, when Raphael seeking, it is said, a model in the 
vicinity of Rome, espied a country woman with her children, 
one of whom ran up to his mother with two crossed pieces of 
wood whereupon Raphael painted the group upon the lid of a 
cask laid upon the ground. The Virgin's somewhat conven- 
tional loveliness certainly lends some colour to the tale. The 
picturesque effect is enhanced by the brilliant colour-scheme. 

No. 152. Andrea Schiavone. The Death of Abel (?). 

The artist was a pupil of Titian, although the striking com- 
position and vigorous draughtsmanship recall the influence of 
Tintoretto. The murderer's weapon, the jawbone of an ass, 
appears to justify the earlier description of this fine painting 
as Samson slaying the Philistine. 

No. 153. Baroccio. Head of a Child, 

This charming little sketch on paper of a cherub was 
formerly ascribed to Correggio. 

No. 154. Carlo Dolci. The Child Baptist Asleep. 

This carefully finished picture was painted, so Baldinucci 
records, for the Grand-Duchess della Rovere for her private 
chapel, and though much vaunted at the time, has not stood 
the test of modern criticism. 

No. 156. Il Guercino. Madonna of the Swallow. 

A pleasing example of this master's art. Note the de- 
parture from tradition in the introduction of a swallow in the 
place of the gold-finch. 

No. 1 59. Att. Titian (?). Bacchanal. 

This picture is alleged to be a fragment of the painting of 
Bacchus and Ariadne formerly in the possession of the 
Duke of Ferrara, and now in the National Gallery of London. 

No. 158. Att. Raphael. Portrait of Cardinal Bernardo 
Dovizi da Bibbiena. 

The typical churchman, scholar, and diplomatist is port- 
rayed here with conspicuous insight, his somewhat vulpine 
expression being redeemed by the humorous smile. Ber- 
nardo Dovizi was tutor to the children of Lorenzo II Magnifico, 
the second of whom, Pope Leo X, made him a Cardinal. 

No. 159. Fra Bartolommeo. The Risen Saviour 
with the Evangelists. 

This fine painting was the centre panel of a triptych ; the 



THE PITTI GALLERY 185 

two wings, with the Prophets Isaiah and Job, are at the 
Uffizi (Nos. 1 1 26, 1 130). The Saviour standing in the act 
of benediction is unsurpassed for majesty, whilst the Evangel- 
ists receiving the Word are most impressive figures. 

No. 451 bis. Lo SPAGNA. Marriage of S. Catherine. 

A charming work by this artist, noted for the miniature- 
like delicacy of his colour. Unrepresented otherwise in 
Florence, Lo Spagna — a pupil of Perugino — is known by 
his paintings at Foligno and Spoleto. 

No. 167. Giulio Romano. The Dance of the Muses. 

This attractive little panel probably adorned the case of a 
clavichord. Giulio Romano shows his mastery of the minor 
graces of purely decorative art. The Muses weave their 
dance with incomparable grace around the leader of their 
choir, Apollo. 

No. 42. Perugino. S. Mary Magdalen. 

An exquisite little work. The golden flesh tints and the 
warm brown of the Saint's robe unite in a colour symphony 
of singular effectiveness. 

No. 163. Andrea del Sarto. The Annunciation. 

The familiar theme is treated here in the key of pure 
spirituality. The Virgin and Archangel seem to float in the 
radiancy of Divine promise. The altar-piece, now at Berlin, 
of which this picture is the lunette was commissioned by 
Giuliano della Scala for the Church of the Annunziata, 
and the addition of the green curtain enhances the effect. 

No. 164. Perugino. Entombment. 

This fine painting was executed, so Vasari records, for the 
Convent of Poor Clares at Perugia. Perugino has inter- 
preted the beauty of Umbrian scenery with characteristic 
tenderness. The composition is impressive, and, in spite of 
unfortunate restoration, remains one of his greatest achieve- 
ments. 

No. 165. Raphael. Mado?ina del Baldacchino. 

The influence of Fra Bartolommeo is clearly discernible 
in this fine painting, begun only by Raphael and finished by 
his pupils. Commissioned for the Dei Chapel in 1 508, the 
artist abandoned the work upon his summons to Rome. 
Although the master's mind and not his craft mark the 
composition, we would call attention to the boy Angels 
standing at the foot of the throne, unsurpassed for their 
devout reverence allied to child-like charm. 



1 86 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 59. Raphael. Portrait of Maddalena Doni. 

The artist has given us here a living likeness of the 
typical Florentine gentlewoman of his day, the placid and 
sober-minded housewife whose price is above rubies. The 
thoughtful serenity of Maddalena Strozzi-Doni must have 
acted as a soothing influence upon her masterful consort 
(compare No. 61). 

No. 61. Raphael. Portrait of Angelo Doni. 

The companion portrait to the above, painted about 1 506. 
Seldom has Raphael displayed deeper insight. The hidden 
character of the close-fisted yet ostentatious merchant bent 
upon obtaining good value for his outlay, and of the 
collector, may be read in the keen glance and lean, hawk- 
like features as in an open book. Note the contrast of the 
smooth, plump hand. 

No. 174. Att. Raphael. The Vision of Ezekiel 

The overmastering grandeur and perfect balance of the 
composition suffice to set the mark of Raphael's genius upon 
this fine work, although the ascription to Giulio Romano 
is justified by a certain imperfection. " A painting of Christ, 
Jove-like in the skies, executed by Raphael for Count Erco- 
lani of Bologna in 1 510," is recorded by Vasari. 

No. 171. Att. Raphael. Portrait of Tojnmaso Inghir- 
atni, surnamed " Phaedra ". 

A favourite of successive Popes whose service he entered 
at the age of thirteen, Inghirami was accredited Ambassador 
to the Emperor Maximilian by Alexander VI when barely 
twenty-five years old, whilst Julius II appointed him his 
librarian and secretary. His scholarship and dramatic gifts 
earned for him the surnames of " Cicero " and " Phaedra ". 
Pope Leo X commissioned this portrait in 15 14, two years 
before his friend's death at the early age of 46. The 
heavy features, ennobled by the scholar's inspired glance, are 
rendered with characteristic fidelity, not omitting the cast of 
the sitter's eye, thus imparting a singular vitality to this 
portrait, which is a replica, probably by Raphael himself. 
The original, until recently in the possession of the Inghirami 
family, is now in the Gardner Collection at Boston, U.S.A. 

No. 172. Andrea del Sarto. The Dispute on tJie 
Tri?iity. 

One of the painter's masterpieces. Vasari has just praise 
for the diversity and expressiveness of the attitudes of the dis- 



- 




THE GRAXDLCA .MADONNA 
From the painting by Raphael in the Pitti Palace 



t. l$7 



THE PITTI GALLERY 187 

putants. The majesty of age and the deference of youth are 
forcibly typified by the vigorous delineation of SS. Augustine 
and Lawrence. Commissioned by the Augustinian Friars for 
their church outside Porta San Gallo, the picture was taken 
to San Jacopo tra Fossi after the siege of Florence. The 
great floods of 1555 damaged the lower portion, and it was 
taken thence to the Pitti. 

No. 166. Annibale Caracci. Head of an Old Man. 

No little originality and power are displayed in this study 
of the strongly characterized rugged features. 

No. 401. SUSTERMANS. Portrait of Pandolfo Ricasoli, 
Canon of Florence. 

This is an interesting painting. Pandolfo Ricasoli (1 58 1 - 
1657), a distinguished theologian and preacher, whose 
writings gave umbrage to the Inquisition, was sentenced to 
perpetual imprisonment for heresy in the Convent of Sta 
Croce, where he spent the last sixteen years of his life. The 
heterodoxy of his teachings is indicated by the demon of 
spiritual pride whispering in his ear, introduced afterwards 
into the portrait. 

No. 178. Raphael. Madonna del Gran Duca. 

Simplicity, repose, and spirituality are the salient features 
of this exquisite painting, Raphael's loveliest conception of 
the Virgin- Mother. The masterwork of his first period, it 
constitutes a landmark in his art. Painted about the year 
1 505, the picture was lost to view until the reign of Ferdinand 
III. Sold by a poor woman to a bookseller, one Gaetano 
Gaglier, for a trifling sum, the latter disposed of the picture 
to Cav. Puccini, the Director of the Grand-Ducal Gallery, 
for five hundred and seventy-one scudi. The Grand-Duke 
placed the picture in his own private chapel, and took it with 
him on his journeys, whence the name. 

No. 77. NicCOLb SOGGI. The Virgin and Child with 
SS.fohn the Baptist and Eustace. 

A typical composition of Florentine fifteenth-century art. 
The colouring is harmonious, and the charming landscape, 
visible beyond the fantastically piled-up rocks, recalls the 
country about Arezzo, the artist's birthplace. 

Handsome mirrors cover the window- wall, and three fine 
marble tables inlaid with agates, etc., complete the decora- 
tion. 



1 88 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



Hall of Jupiter 

The ceiling decoration by Pietro da Cortona depicts the 
Grand-Duke Cosimo I, led by Fortune and Valour to receive 
the crown of Immortality at the hands of Jupiter. 

A few unimportant paintings are omitted. 

No. 109. Paris Bordone. Portrait \ The Nurse of the 
Medici Family. 

This traditional designation shows us a typical family 
servant in rustling holiday silk, the texture and colour of 
which are perfectly rendered. The influence of Titian and 
Palma Vecchio is unmistakable in this fine portrait. 

No. no. Venetian School. The Three Ages of Man. 

The similarity of the grouping here and in "The Con- 
cert " (No. 185) led to an attribution of this interesting com- 
position to Giorgione, and also to Lorenzo Lotto. The 
damage through unfortunate restoration is considerable, but 
the heads of the two older men are full of character. 

No. 112. COURTOIS (II BORGOGNONE). Battle-piece. 

A fine painting and one of his best works ; the artist 
exhibits characteristic vigour and diversity in the treatment 
of single episodes. Note that of the soldier in the foreground 
with his unhorsed adversary. 

No. 245. Raphael. "La Donna Velata" Portrait of 
Margherita, La Fornarina. 

The recently discovered will, dated 161 1, of Marchese 
Botti, the last descendant of the Florentine merchant in 
whose possession Vasari saw this painting, recording the 
same in glowing terms, describes " the painting of a young 
woman by the hand of Raphael of Urbino," which he 
devises with the residue of his property to the Grand-Duke 
Cosimo II. The identity of " the Veiled Lady," with Mar- 
gherita, the baker's handsome daughter, Raphael's mistress, 
is therefore established. His masterpiece in " secular " 
feminine portraiture ; the cool glance and self-possessed 
carriage reveal the wilful, pleasure-loving beauty, as much 
as her rich attire betokens the painter's bounty and admira- 
tion. Restoration has fortunately spared the pearl coloured 
brocade which, with the muslin veil and deftly pleated smock, 
form an incomparable symphony of white tones. 

No. 118. Andrea del Sarto. Double Portrait so called 
of the Artist a7id his Wife. 



THE PITTI GALLERY 189 

Its sadly damaged condition deprives this work of much 
interest. The artist had married Lucrezia del Fede in 1 5 1 7, 
and the letter he is showing her has been interpreted as the 
summons of King Francis I to Paris in the following year. 
The attribution is doubtful. 

No. 243. Velasquez. Equestrian Portrait of King Philip 
IV of Spain. 

A replica of the Madrid portrait. The Florentine sculptor, 
Tacca, had received the commission of a statue of the King 
for the Buen Retiro Palace, and this painting was sent for 
his guidance. 

No. 33. Att. Flemish School. Portrait of a Lady. 

Nothing is known with regard to this interesting work 
beyond the date and name " Ioh. Starnlers vxor," inscribed 
on the back of the canvas. 

No. 123. Andrea del Sarto. The Virgin Enthroned 
upon Clouds, and Four Saints. 

This picture, unfinished at the artist's death, has been 
sadly damaged by restoration. The landscape background 
representing the Casentino range was added by his pupil 
Vincenzo Bonilli of Poppi, who indicates his birthplace in 
the small castle amidst the hills. In the S. Catherine we 
behold once more Lucrezia del Fede's familiar features. 

No. 124. Andrea del Sarto. The Annunciation. 

The artist's most successful interpretation of the familiar 
theme. The attitude of the Virgin — here again Lucrezia — is 
full of grace. The inscription on the desk tells his intention 
to raise a monument to her. The colour is characteristically 
clear and brilliant. 

No. 125. Fra Bartolommeo. S. Mark the Evange- 
list. 

This fine painting has been called the artist's act of hom- 
age to the genius of Michelangelo. Painted after his return 
from Rome, Fra Bartolommeo has striven here to express 
Divine inspiration and the gift of Prophecy by means of a 
colossal form that recalls the giants of the Sixtine Chapel. 
Intended to be seen from a distance, the effect is somewhat 
theatrical and marred by too close proximity. 

No. 126. Philippe de Champaigne. Portrait. 

A moderate work by this painter, best known by his 
portrait of Cardinal de Richelieu at the Louvre. 

No. 316. Carlo Dolci. Portrait of a Youth. 



i 9 o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Painted, as the inscription states, at the age of 14 years, 
the work shows promise of subtle character-portraiture which 
the artist's later work did not keep. Note the warm colour 
of the flesh tints. 

No. 131. Tintoretto. Portrait of Vine enzo Zeno. 

A fine portrait, justly esteemed as one of the artist's most 
successful delineations. The kindly intellectual countenance, 
typical of honoured age, and the subtly modelled face and 
hands are rendered with marked refinement. The Zeno family 
of Venice gave notable politicians and jurists to the State ; 
nothing, however, is known about Vincenzo Zeno himself. 

No. 113. Giov. Batt. di Jacopo (II Rosso). The 
Three Fates. 

The now generally accepted attribution to this versatile 
but by no means first-rate artist instead of Michelangelo, 
robs this picture of its spurious renown. The types are, how- 
ever, treated with distinction and realism. 

No. 64. Fra Bartolommeo. Pieta. 

The range of Fra Bartolommeo's art embraces no figure 
more truly pathetic than the Mother bending over her dead 
Son. Maternal anguish, the grief of the beloved disciple, 
the sorrow of the Magdalen at the loss of her Redeemer, are 
told with singular poignancy in their attitudes. The pale, re- 
cumbent form of the dead Christ strikes a contrasting note in 
the deep colour-scheme. 

No. 272. Andrea del Sarto. 5. John the Baptist. 

Restoration amounting to virtual re-painting mars in some 
measure the effect of this attractive picture of youthful man- 
hood. 

No. 179. Sebastiano del Piombo. The Martyrdom of 
S. Agatha. 

Michelangelo's influence doubtless inspired the sculptural 
character of this composition. The group of executioners 
is powerfully drawn, whilst the fine colour compels attention, 
despite the secular feeling of a work religious in name only. 

No. 138. Zuccheri. Portrait of Guidobaldo If, Duke of 
Urbino (1538-74). 

A spirited likeness of this distinguished soldier and states- 
man, the son of Titian's patron. 

No. 18. Titian. Portrait, " La Bella" . 

The identity of the sitter has been widely controverted. 
Tradition sees here the idealized portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga, 



THE PITTI GALLERY 191 

Duchess of Urbino (compare Uffizi, No. 599). Titian shows 
us there the matronly Regent of Urbino at the age of 
44, whilst the artist's ideal of youthful feminine beauty is 
laid here at the sovereign's feet. Titian has surpassed him- 
self in the delicacy of his amber flesh tints. The velvet 
glance asserts triumphantly the claim of Isabella d'Este's 
daughter to the royalty of beauty in addition to intellectual 
pre-eminence. This fine portrait, painted approximately 
about the year 1526, was brought to Florence by Vittoria 
della Rovere on her marriage to Ferdinand 1 1 . 

Six unimportant paintings by Franceschini, Ligozzi, 
Guercino, and Lanfranchi cover the window-wall, beneath 
which we note a magnificent table exquisitely inlaid with 
chalcedony, jasper, and other semi-precious stones. 

Hall of Mars 

The ceiling is by Pietro da Cortona. Mars points to the 
Medici scutcheon supported by Genii with warlike trophies, 
to symbolize the military achievements of Cosimo I. Tri- 
umphant Victory is crowned by Peace and Plenty. 

A number of unimportant paintings have been omitted. 

No. 447. Florentine School. Sixteenth century 
Portrait of Gian Bologna (?). 

The sculptor's tools and the marked resemblance of this 
likeness to a portrait in the Palazzo della Signoria suggest 
the identification. 

No. 476. Andrea del Sarto. Holy Family. 

A good specimen of Andrea's art. 

No. 6. Manfredi. The Fortune-Teller. 

A brilliantly coloured imitation of Caravaggio's somewhat 
coarse realism. A very popular picture. 

No. 82. Van Dyck. Portrait of Cardinal Guido Benti- 
voglio. 

A member of the family which ruled over Bologna for 
more than a century (1401-1508). Distinguished as a 
statesman and a historian of merit, Cardinal Bentivoglio was 
the favoured counsellor of several Popes from Clement VIII 
to Urban VIII. The massing of crimson tones forms a 
striking setting to the churchman's austere and intellectual 
mien. This is one of Van Dyck's best portraits. 

No. 81. Andrea del Sarto. Holy Family. 



1 9 2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The group of the Virgin with the Child astride upon her 
knee is very charming ; and the aged S. Elizabeth, looking 
down upon the youthful S. John, is a beautiful dignified figure. 

No. 93. Rubens. S. Francis. 

A fine work, full of religious feeling. Note the rapt expres- 
sion of the Saint. The colour-scheme of warm brown is 
effective. 

No. 94. Raphael. La Madonna delP Impannata. 

Painted at Rome to the order of the Florentine merchant, 
Bindo Altoviti, in 15 14, as a gift to the city of his birth. 
The composition, inspired only by the master, is now re- 
garded as the work of one of his pupils, probably Giulio 
Romano. The name " L' Impannata " originated in the 
linen drapery of the window-frame. 

No. 86. Rubens. The Horrors of War. 

This designation commonly adopted is misleading. The 
artist, in a letter, sent together with the picture in 1638 to 
Sustermans, describes the finely coloured though somewhat 
confused composition as " the Allegory of the Thirty Years 
War, 7 ' which was raging at the time. " The blue-robed 
figure, who with uplifted eyes and despairing gesture seems 
the very embodiment of grief, represents unhappy Europe, 
suffering outrage, rapine, and every calamity." 

No. 90. Lodovico Cardi (II Cigoli). S. Francis in 
Prayer. 

The Convent of La Vernia in the fine mountain landscape 
is the single interesting feature of an otherwise worthless 
painting. 

No. 91. Carlo Dolci. S. Peter in Prayer. 

Painted in 1 564. 

No. 8. Tintoretto. Portrait of Luigi Cornaro. 

The artist has never rendered more felicitously the dignified 
repose of advancing years than in the sunken cheeks and 
long, thin, delicately veined hands of his sitter Luigi Cornaro 
(1467- 1 566). He was a distinguished scholar and prolific 
writer. This is one of Tintoretto's best portraits. 

No. 85. Rubens. Portraits of the Artist, his Brother 
Philip Rubens, and the Philosophers Lipsius and Grotius. 

This painting of a symposium of art and learning held 
under the eye of Seneca, whose bust may be observed in a 
niche, constitutes a feat remarkable for the painter's years. 
Grotius, the historian, seated with his dog beside him, looks 



THE PITTI GALLERY 193 

inquiringly at Philip Rubens, the scholar, who followed his 
brother to Rome, and became librarian to Cardinal Colonna, 
returning to Antwerp in 1609. The lean, emaciated features 
of Lipsius, the jurist, who died in 1606, are subtly char- 
acterized. The artist's attitude, that of a mere onlooker, is 
held to denote his youthful inexperience in the art of com- 
position. The glass with tulips, the jurist's favourite flower, 
is held to be a graceful tribute to his learning. 

No. 95. Cristofano Allori (Bronzino). The Sacrifice 
of Isaac. 

One of the best works by this artist, noted for the brilliancy 
of his colour. * 

No. 16. Rembrandt. Portrait of an Old Man. 

A work of his later period, circa 1658. The colour has 
darkened, but the flesh tones are painted with characteristic 
vigour. Note the repose of the folded hands. 

No. 98. L. Cardi (II Cigoli). The Magdalen. 

A fair example of the artist's decorative style. 

No. 381. Att. Giampietrino. S. Catherine. 

A very charming picture, formerly ascribed to Aurelio 
Luini. 

On an Easel in the Window 

No. 147. DOSSO Dossi. Nymph Pursued by a Faun. 

A very beautiful work, formerly ascribed to Giorgione, with 
whom the Ferrarese artist here shows no slight affinity. 
The golden colouring, auburn locks, and soft glance of the 
Venetian courtesan, who symbolizes Beauty, are worthy of 
the master's genius. The lover's quest is subtly told in the 
eager gesture and open lips of the Faun. 

Hall of Apollo 

The ceiling, commenced only by Pietro da Cortona, was 
finished by his pupil Ciro Ferri. Cosimo I as Hercules lean- 
ing on his club is led by Virtue and Fame toward Apollo. 

The unimportant paintings have been omitted. 

No. 36. Girolamo Carpi. Portrait of 07iofrio Bar- 
tolini-Salirnbeni, Patriarch of Pisa. 

An early work by this artist, a pupil of Garofalo. Vasari 
has praise for " the fine head of delicate workmanship, ex- 
ecuted when Messer Onofrio was a student at the University 
of Bologna ". 

13 



i 9 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 1 50. Van D yck. Double Portrait of King Charles I 
and Queen Henrietta-Maria of England. 

The King's thoughtful countenance and the justly celebrated 
beauty of Queen Henrietta-Maria are admirably portrayed 
in this work of the artist's maturity. Note the accessories, 
lace and jewellery, painted with rare delicacy and breadth. 

No. 38. Att. Palma Vecchio. The Supper at Emmaus. 

The attribution to Palma Vecchio, founded upon his 
initials in a corner is doubtful. The names of Zelotti and 
Girolamo da Santa Croce are suggested for this finely 
coloured example of the Venetian school. 

No. 40. Raphael Sanzio. Portrait-group of Giova?i?ii 
dei Medici {Pope Leo X) with his Kinst?ten the Cardinals 
Giulio dei Medici {afterwards Pope Clement VII), and 
Luigi de' Rossi, Papal Secretary of Briefs. 

The painter's masterpiece, and alike from an historical and 
artistic point of view, one of the most noteworthy paintings 
in Florence. This portrait was executed by Raphael in 
Rome in or about the year 15 18, when Leo X was little more 
than 40, though he appears much older. Without stoop- 
ing to flatter his sitter, Raphael, through his unique genius, 
has contrived to invest the coarse, sensual face and unwieldy 
frame with an air of real majesty. Note the shapely white 
hands, of which the Pope was inordinately proud, and 
the glass which his defective vision constantly required. 

Vasari praises this picture, and with justice, in the highest 
terms ; speaking of the exquisite rendering of the crimson 
velvet and white brocade of the papal robes, " of the illumin- 
ated parchment more real than life, and the little bell of 
wrought silver, beautiful beyond description". Depicted 
with equal power but with less minute detail are the figures 
of Giulio dei Medici (the future Clement VII), with his hand- 
some saturnine face looking straight at Leo X, and of Luigi 
de' Rossi discreetly standing behind his august relative's 
chair. The latter died in 15 19, and his fine Renaissance 
tomb can be seen in the portico of the neighbouring Church 
of Santa Felicita. 

No. 41. Cristofano ALLORI. The Hospitality of S. 
Julian. 

The Saint is represented receiving a leper in his house. 
Julian, according to the legend, suspecting his wife's fidelity, 
murdered the two persons whom she had harboured in her 



^ 



THE PITTI GALLERY 195 

chamber in his absence at the chase. The unknown way- 
farers proved to be his own father and mother. Appalled at 
this, Julian and his wife went forth into the world to do 
penance for the involuntary crime. Settling themselves by 
the ford of a river, they built an hospice for the travellers 
whom Julian ferried across. One of these, a youth afflicted 
with leprosy, whom the Saint housed and clothed, proved to 
be an angel sent by the Lord to inform them that their sin 
was forgiven. The group of S. Julian with the youth in his 
arms is grandly conceived. 

No. 300. Salvator Rosa. Portrait of an Old Man. 

A spirited likeness. 

No. 162. Baroccio. Portrait of Francesco- Maria delta 
Rovere /, Duke of Urbino (1 491- 1538). 

This interesting portrait is but a traditional likeness, the 
artist being only 10 years old when the Duke died (com- 
pare Titian's superb portrait, No. 605, Uffizi). The youthful 
nephew and heir of Guidobaldo Montefeltre, and the great- 
nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, Francesco-Maria succeeded to 
the Dukedom of Urbino in 1 508, in times of severe political 
stress. A born soldier, he led the forces of the Church for 
his kinsman Pope Julius II in the wars with the Venetians. 

No. 116. Sustermans. Portrait of Vittoria delta 
Rovere, Wife of Ferdi?iand II. 

The Grand-Duchess is portrayed in the character of the 
vestal virgin Tuccia. The granddaughter and heiress of 
the last Duke of Urbino, Vittoria's dowry, which included 
all the paintings and works of art accumulated by a long line 
of ancestors, served to enrich the Pitti and Uffizi Collections. 

No. 49. Tiberio Titi. Child-portrait of Cardinal Leo- 
poldo dei Medici (1617-75), Eighth Son of Cosimo II. 

This charming little picture shows us the future Cardinal, 
and the founder of the unique collection of Painters 5 Portraits 
preserved at the Uffizi, at the age of a few months. 

No. 50. Il Guercino. S. Peter Recalls the Widow 
Tab it ha to Life. 

An early work of this prolific artist who, Baldinucci tells 
us, painted 104 altar-pieces and 144 other pictures for kings, 
queens, cardinals, and princes, and many other works besides 
for private persons. 

Nos. 87, 88. Andrea del Sarto. Scenes from the Life 
of Joseph . 



196 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

In the year 1528 the Florentine merchant Salvi Borghe- 
rini summoned the leading artists and craftsmen of the city 
to decorate and furnish the rooms destined for his son Pier- 
Francesco's bride, Margherita Acciajuoli ; whereupon Andrea 
del Sarto, together with Granacci and Pontormo, were com- 
missioned to paint a series of scriptural scenes for the adorn- 
ment of her nuptial chamber. King Francis I, hearing these 
paintings generally and justly praised, desired to purchase 
them, and commissioned his agent Giovan-Battista della Palla, 
with the assistance of the Signory, to obtain possession by all 
means in his power. Vasari records in graphic terms the 
ambassador's scornful dismissal at the hands of Margherita. 

No. 52. School of Titian. Holy Family with SS. 
Catherine and Mary Magdalen. 

Formerly ascribed to Pordenone. The characteristic Vene- 
tian landscape is charming. 

No. 47. Guido Reni. Bacchus. 

The mythological subject offers us one of the artist's most 
attractive examples of child- portraiture. 

No. 55. Baroccio. Child-portrait of Federigo della 
Rovere, Prince of Urbino. 

Federigo della Rovere, born in 1605, was the only son, by 
his second wife, of Francesco- Maria II, the last Duke. He 
led a dissolute life and predeceased his father at the early age 
of 18 years. He married Claudia, daughter of Ferdinand 
I dei Medici, and his only child Vittoria eventually became 
the wife of her cousin Ferdinand II. The solemn, wistful 
look of the little sufferer wrapped in the gorgeous but uncom- 
fortable swaddling clothes of the day, lends a peculiar charm 
to this specimen of " Royal portraiture ". 

No. 58. Andrea del Sarto. Ento7nbment. 

Religious feeling pervades this fine work, which recalls in 
many ways the same subject depicted by Fra Bartolommeo 
(Pitti, No. 64). The artist and his family had fled in 1 523 to 
escape the plague then raging in Florence to Luco, in the 
Mugello, where he painted this altar-piece for the nuns of 
S. Piero. Vasari's praise of this impressive work is deserved. 
The female figures, u living as though they had really intelli- 
gence and soul," are portraits : the artist's wife is the Mag- 
dalen ; the Virgin is her sister ; and the second of the holy 
women is her daughter by her first marriage. 

No. 129. Mazzolini. The Woman Take?i in Adultery. 



THE PITTI GALLERY 197 

A good example of the brilliant but somewhat harsh colour 
of the Ferrarese school. 

No. 487. DOSSO DOSSI. The Flight into Egypt. 

A pleasing warmth of colour distinguishes this work. The 
landscape is attractive. 

No. 122. Garofalo. Sibyl Revealing the Mystety of the 
Incarnation to Augustus. 

The Tiburtine Sibyl points heavenwards at the vision 
before which the Emperor kneels in amazement. His fine 
colour places this artist's work among the best productions of 
the Ferrarese school. 

No. 62. Andrea del Sarto. Holy Family. 

A somewhat commonplace work. Painted in 1521. 

No. 63. Murillo. The* Virgin and Child. 

The fine colour harmony, the tender and sorrowful expres- 
sion of the Virgin's soft glance, the charming attitude of the 
Child, all unite to justify the general appreciation of this beauti- 
ful picture. If the majesty that compels reverence is absent, 
we are yet charmed by the artist's distinctive human sentiment. 

No. 483. Marco Vecellio. Our Lady of Mercy. 

A finely coloured and effective painting. 

No. 66. Andrea del Sarto. Portrait of Himself as a 
Youth. 

The subdued colour-scheme enhances the effect of this 
attractive portrait of the young artist, whose mind seems 
already oppressed by the future vicissitudes of his life. The 
expression of the amiable countenance is haunting. 

No. 67. Titian. The Magdalen. 

A beautiful likeness of a beautiful woman. The subject, 
a favourite one with Titian's patrons, afforded him ample 
scope for the poetic interpretation of the spell cast by auburn 
locks, appealing glances, and a form of ideal loveliness. 

The pictures hanging on the window-wall are unimportant. 
Three fine tables inlaid with precious stones and agates, and 
an elaborately carved ebony cabinet in the centre, complete 
the decoration. The cabinet contains a portable altar used 
by Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici, and the inside panels dis- 
play paintings upon agate by Breughel. 

Hall of Venus 

The ceiling, by Pietro da Cortona, represents the youth 
Cosimo I led by Wisdom to eschew pleasure, towards Her- 



198 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

cules, symbolizing Labour. Portraits of the Medici Princes 
ornament the lunettes. 

The less important pictures are omitted. 

Nos. i and 20. Albert Durer. Adam and Eve. 

These two paintings, probably the wings of a triptych, were 
executed about 1507 for the Guild- Hall of Nuremberg. 
Purchased by the Emperor Rudolph II (1 576-1612), they 
were replaced by copies. The greater beauty and vivacity 
of the two similar pictures at Madrid lead critics to seek the 
originals there ; they are inclined, however, to ascribe the Pitti 
pictures as replicas also to Albert Durer. 

No. 2. Salvator Rosa. Duplicity. 

The seated figure holding the mask is said to represent a 
rival, whose duplicity the artist stigmatizes in his Satires. 

No. 4. Salvator Rosa. Sea-piece. 

The artist shows himself here a worthy rival of Claude 
Lorrain and a forerunner of Turner. The Italian sunrise 
invests the scene with a glamour in which the shipping floats in 
masses of ethereal radiancy upon the waters shot with golden 
ripples. The dark foreground with the mole and light- 
house of Leghorn, where a great argosy is building, stands 
forth in sharp contrast with the magic spectacle of the rising 
sun. 

No. 79. Att. Raphael. Portrait of Pope Julius II. 

The skill of a Venetian artist, to whom we owe this fine 
replica of Raphael's masterpiece (Uffizi, No. 1131) has 
given rise to an attribution upon which authoritative critics cast 
some doubt. The painting was brought to Florence with 
the remainder of the Delia Rovere inheritance from Urbino. 
One of the most eminent members of a remarkable family, 
Giuliano della Rovere was born at Savona in 1453. He re- 
ceived the Cardinal's hat in 1471 and was raised to the 
Pontificate in 1 503. His martial instincts, it is said, led him 
to take the name of Julius in memory of Julius Caesar. Pope 
Julius II died in 15 13. He is commonly regarded as the 
true founder of the Temporal Power of the Roman Church. 

No. 176. Domenichino. The Magdalen. 

A somewhat theatrical, though finely coloured composition. 

No. 7. Franz Pourbus. Portrait of a Warrior. 

A spirited portrait. Note the care shown in the treatment 
of detail. 

No. 8. IL Guercino. Apollo and Marsyas. 



THE PITTI GALLERY 199 

One of the painter's best works. He has treated his sub- 
ject with a vigour and impressiveness rarely met with in the 
art of his day. The peaceful landscape contrasts sharply 
with the dramatic scene. 

No. 9. Rubens. Ulysses a?id Nausicda. 

The adventure of the Grecian King plays but a minor 
part in this vast composition, which has afforded the artist 
full scope for his romantic fancy. A bustling seaport 
stretches far inland ; shipping flecks the summer sea with 
white wings, and Rubens' genius seems to have divined the 
Ionian coast-line where rocky headlands are interspersed 
with verdant slopes, dotted with villages and homesteads nest- 
ling amid chestnut and oak forests. 

No. 11. Jac. Ponte (II Bassano). The Martyrdom of 
S. Catherine. 

A fine painting, brilliantly coloured. Note the touching 
attitude of the Saint. 

No. 13. Matteo Rosselli. The Triumph of David. 

A characteristic example of the soulless religious art of the 
later Florentine school. 

No. 14. Rubens. The Return of the Harvesters. 

The soft glow of a Flemish summer day bathes the trees 
and the distant spires of Mechlin with a golden haze. The 
poetry of the plain has rarely been expressed with deeper 
charm. 

No. 15. Salvator Rosa. Marine Landscape. 

The atmosphere here is grey and the scenery rugged ; 
indeed, the piled-up crags produce an impression of confused 
unreality. The companion to No. 4. The picture was doubt- 
less intended to glorify the rising sea-power of Tuscany, as 
may be inferred from the galleys flying the ensign of the 
Naval and Military Order of S. Stephen. 

No. 17. Att. Titian. The Marriage of S. Catherine. 

The central group of this attractive composition with its 
charm of colouring suggests a replica of the fine picture now 
in the National Gallery of London. 

No. 137. Giovanni di San Giovanni. The Hunter's 
Home-corn ing. 

This spirited composition is one of the few easel pictures 
by this painter, whose art may best be appreciated in his 
decorative frescoes in the ground -floor suite of rooms of 
the Palace. 



2oo FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

On an Easel in the Window 

No. 97. Titian. Portrait \ " The Englishman ". 

This superb portrait was brought from Urbino by Vittoria 
della Rovere. The traditional designation, " the English- 
man," and the unmistakable Anglo-Saxon type, lend colour 
to the suggestion that we have here the unfortunate Henry 
Earl of Surrey, statesman, orator, and poet, beheaded for 
treason in the year 1547, at the age of 35, or there- 
abouts, during his father's lifetime. The restless glance, the 
melancholy smile playing about the thin lips and the reserved 
and haughty bearing forcibly express the idealist's dissatis- 
faction with alien conditions of life beyond his power of control.^ 
Titian has never interpreted a character with deeper insight. 
The subtle modelling of the care-worn brow and the skilful 
massing of the sombre tones place this portrait, painted 
about 1 540, amongst Titian's finest delineations. The tra- 
ditional association with the Duke of Norfolk, Henry's father, 
is not so far unquestioned. 

A magnificent Sevres vase stands in the middle of this 
room, wherein three handsome inlaid tables complete the 
decoration. The vase was given by the Emperor Napoleon I 
to his sister Elisa Baciocchi, Duchess of Lucca, and after- 
wards of Tuscany. We retrace our steps to the Hall of the 
Iliad, whence opens 

The Hall of the Education of Jove 

No. 241. GiULlO Clovio. Descent from the Cross. 

A fine example of sixteenth-century miniature painting on 
vellum. The colour is beautifully transparent and delicate. 
Clovio occupies a foremost place in the art, which, from mere 
illumination upon parchment, was to develop into the ex- 
quisite miniature painting on ivory of later times. 

No. 139. RUBENS. Holy Family. 

This is one of the artist's most attractive family groups, in 
which we recognize the comely features of Helene Fourment, 
his second wife, and their two children. The children are 
especially charming. 

No. 270. GuiDO Reni. Cleopatra. 

The artist, so we learn from a letter dated 1640, spent 
much time and trouble over this picture, once greatly ad- 
mired. Cleopatra's attitude is singularly unconvincing. 



THE PITTI GALLERY 201 

Her timid, upturned glance has nothing of the pride of Mark 
Antony's sovereign ruler. The colour is flat and lifeless. 

No. 246. BOCCACCINO DA CREMONA. Portrait, " La 
Zingarella " (The Gipsy-Girl). 

A delicate little painting, formerly ascribed to Garofalo. 

Nos. 251,261. BAROCCIO. Heads, The Virgin and Arch- 
angel. 

These are two attractive studies for an altar-piece of the 
Annunciation in the Basilica of Loreto. 

No. 248. Att. Tintoretto. Entombment. 

A fine vigorous composition set in characteristic Venetian 
scenery. 

No. 252. Att. Jean Clouet. Portrait, Claude de Lor- 
raine, Due de Guise. 

Formerly given to Holbein. This distinguished soldier 
led the French troops at Marignano, in 1 5 1 5, and received 
the Dukedom of Guise from Francis I for his services. 

No. 254. Venetian School. Holy Family. 

Formerly ascribed to Palma Vecchio. 

No. 255. Abraham de Vries. Portrait. 

An excellent portrait of the typical Dutch Burgomaster. 
The modelling of the pleasant florid features framed in deli- 
cately painted hair and beard, led to the former attribution 
of this fine work to Van der Heist. 

No. 338. School of Giov. Bellini. Sacra Conver- 
sazione. 

A charmingly grouped assemblage amid attractive scenery. 
Possibly by Marco Bello, a pupil of Giovanni Bellini. 

No. 257. Bonifazio Veronese II. Sibyl Revealing the 
Mystery of the Incarnation to Augustus. 

An interesting work ; formerly ascribed to Paris Bordone. 
The figure of the Emperor is striking. 

No. 262. Att. Clouet, dit Jehannet. Portrait of 
Henri II, King of France. 

Probably only a study for the full-length portrait of the 
King (No. 1 123, Uffizi, 2nd Cor.). 

No. 265. SUSTERMANS. Portrait of Prince Matthias dei 
Medici, son of Cosimo II. 

This fine likeness is one of the painter's best portraits. 
This Prince, a younger brother of Ferdinand II who served 
with distinction under Wallenstein in the Thirty Years War, 
became Governor of Siena, where he died in 1667. 



202 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 266. Carlo Dolci. The Martyrdom of ' S. Andrew. 

The artist painted several replicas. His fellow-pupil, 
Raphael Ximenes, is depicted under the features of the 
Centurion. 

No. 96. Cristofano Allori. Judith. 

This magnificent picture is deservedly considered the 
artist's masterpiece. We are dazzled by the gorgeous yellow 
robe of the Jewish heroine, in whom we recognize the hand- 
some courtesan " La Mazzafira," Allori's mistress. Her 
mother appears as the attendant, while the artist has intro- 
duced his own likeness in the features of Holophernes, having 
allowed his beard to grow for the occasion. 

In the adjoining room, " Camera del Stufa," are fine modern 
statues of Cain and Abel by Dupre. To the right of the 
passage leading to the Hall of Ulysses opens a small chamber 
with a marble bath. The ceiling is supported by four columns 
of verde antique marble. 

Hall of Ulysses 

A number of unimportant sixteenth and seventeenth cen- 
tury paintings have been omitted. 

No. 80. Att. Titian (?). Portrait of Andrea Vesalio (?). 

This fine portrait has given rise to discussion ; the several 
likenesses, at Vienna, Munich, and Padua, differing so much 
that the association of Vesalio with this picture is only recorded 
as being founded upon tradition. The ascription to Titian 
himself is doubtful, and the painting has suffered sadly from 
restoration. Andrea Vesalio, so called from Wesel, in Ger- 
many, the birthplace of his family, was born at Brussels, in 
1 5 14. The. first to study anatomy by means of dissection, his 
teachings far in advance of his time, drew down the persecu- 
tion of religious bodies upon the precursor of modern surgery. 

No. 2 1 6. Paolo Veronese. Portrait ofDaniele Barbaro. 

A spirited portrait of this illustrious statesman, who repre- 
sented the Venetian Republic at the Court of King Edward 
VI in 1548. 

No. 301. Cigoli. Portrait. 

A good portrait formerly attributed to Carlo Dolci, his 
pupil. 

No. 69. Schiavone. Portrait. 

The artist is strongly influenced here by Tintoretto, 




JUDITH WITH THE HEAD OF HOLOFERNES 
From the pai7iting by Cristofano Alloriin the Pitti Palace 



p. 202 



THE PITTI GALLERY 203 

No. 304. Schidone. Holy Family. 

A work of considerable charm both in colour and com- 
position. 

Nos. 306, 312. Salvator Rosa. Landscapes. 

These charming small landscapes reveal a keen sense of 
the natural beauty and atmosphere of the Mediterranean sea- 
board. We note the familiar rugged outline of the Apuan 
Alps, whilst the " Towers" which give No. 312 its name are 
the lighthouses of Leghorn. 

No. 307. Andrea del Sarto. Madonna and Saints. 

This painting was executed by the artist for his friend, 
Becuccio Bicchieraijo of Gambassi, and brought thence to the 
l J itti. Vasari records the composition, in which, however, a 
certain weakness of design contrasts with the fine colour. 

No. 320. Agostino Caracci. Landscape. 

Painted in distemper on canvas. This little painting has 
all the grace of a delicate water-colour. 

No. 411. Jan Both. La?idscape. 

The colour of this fine work has assumed a uniform tint of 
orange, obliterating all the distinctive features. 

No. 493. Venetian School. Portrait. 

Formerly attributed to Moretto of Brescia, this excellent 
portrait recalls the art of Sebastiano del Piombo. 

No. 28. Att. Andrea del Sarto. Portrait of a Gentle- 
wotnan. 

An attractive composition, but its ascription to the artist 
is doubtful. 

No. 201. Titian. Portrait of Cardinal Ippolito dei 
Medici (1509-35). 

Ippolito, born in 1509, the natural son of Giuliano dei 
Medici, was Pope Leo X's favourite nephew. Destined for 
an ecclesiastical career towards which he had no inclination, 
we behold the young Cardinal (appointed 1528) in his 
favourite " Hungarian dress" in which Titian portrayed him 
during his sojourn at Bologna with the Emperor Charles V. 
The intensity of the young soldier's look, thoughtful beyond 
Ins eighteen years, and the square determined chin indicate 
qualities that, had his life not been cut short by poison but a 
few years later, might have changed the course of Florentine 
history. Note how the smooth cheek of youth contrasts with 
the extraordinary mental maturity of the brow in this portrait. 
one of Titian's most striking character studies. 



2o 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 223. JOOST van Cleeve. Portrait. 

The Barbaro portrait in this room (No. 216) enables us 
to compare the contemporary art of Flanders and Italy. 
The resemblance of this fine work to a portrait by Quentin 
Matsys at Frankfort, led to the earlier attribution. Note 
the careful, yet spirited modelling, and the delicately painted 
accessories, gloves, papers, etc. 

No. 311. Att. Titian. Portrait of Alphonso /, Duke of 
Ferrara. 

A representative Italian statesman, Alphonso d'Este, 
second Duke of Ferrara (1505-34), was the husband of 
Lucrezia Borgia. Their Court was a centre of art and letters, 
and he extended his protection to Ariosto. The interest of 
this fine portrait, ascribed also to Dosso Dossi, is mainly 
historical. 

A fine Sevres vase, a handsome inlaid cabinet, and a 
marble table complete the decoration of this room. 

Hall of Prometheus 

Several unimportant pictures are not mentioned. 

No. 377. Att. Fra Bartolommeo. " Ecce Homo" 

The fragment of a fresco, in which we can discern Leonardo 
da Vinci's influence. Note the Saviour's countenance instinct 
with the tenderness of Fra Bartolommeo's art. 

No. 102. Francesco Libertini (da Bachiacca). The 
Magdalen. 

A brilliant piece of colour by this talented pupil of Perugino, 
and Franciabigio, from whom he acquired the delicacy of 
his technique. Note the Magdalen's spikenard, a jar still in 
use in Tuscany for spices. 

No. 236. Filippino Lippi. Allegorical Scene. 

The artist has selected two passages from Ecclesiasticus to 
illustrate in the fanciful manner of his day the unwisdom of 
misplaced trust. Jesus, the son of Sirach, exclaims (xn. 
13), " Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent ". 
The inscription finds an explanation in the passage (xxv. 
15), " There is no wrath above the wrath of an enemy". 

The landscape with a contemporary view of the city of 
Florence is interesting. 

No. 256. Fra Bartolommeo. Holy Family. 

This interesting work is a quasi-replica of the picture in 
the Corsini Gallery at Rome, 




.MADONNA AND CHILD 
From the painting by Fra Filipfo Lippiin the Pitti Palace 



A 20J 



THE PITTI GALLERY 205 

No. 345. Francesco Granacci. Holy Family. 

This charming composition, one of the artist's best paintings, 
was formerly ascribed to Baldassare Peruzzi. The delicate 
colour almost rivals the transparency of fresco painting. 

No. 341. Att. Eusebio di San Giorgio. Adoration of 
the Magi. 

This charming composition, formerly ascribed to Pin- 
turicchio and to Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, is characteristic of 
Umbrian art, in the skilful grouping of brilliantly clad 
multitudes within a restricted space, against a beautiful 
landscape. The giraffe, first seen in Italy about 1488, 
furnishes an approximate date, and the Vitelli coat-of-arms 
an indication of the ownership for this interesting work. 

No. 343. FlLlPPO LlPPl. The Virgin and Child. 

This admirable painting, almost the first example of the 
circular form within which the Florentine artists contrived 
the representation of an entire life-story, dates from about 
1457. The refined features of the young nun of Prato, 
Lucrezia Buti, for whom the Friar Filippo Lippi disregarded 
the sanctity of their joint vows, are portrayed for us in the 
Virgin. Her sweetly pensive expression as she looks upon 
her Son (the infant Filippino, it is said), tells her story 
plainly. We are afforded a glimpse of domestic scenes in 
the background where the graceful figures of the attendants 
recall Botticelli's art. 

No. 340. School of Perugino. Virgin and Child. 

A very charming picture. 

No. 347. Botticini. Madonna of the Rose-Garden. 

The grace and delicate colour recall the art of Filippino 
Lippi to whom this fanciful " garden enclosed " was formerly 
ascribed. The love of flowers, so characteristic of the 
Florentine Quattro-centists, is shown once more in the beauty 
and variety of the flower-laden hedge behind the balustrade 
and the blossoms wound into garlands for the Christ-Child 
by the Angel's hands. Note also the exquisite landscape 
background. 

No. 348. School of Botticelli. Holy Family and 
Angels. 

A good school-piece. 

No. 364. Jacopo del Sellaio. Holy Family. 

Little is known about this artist, a pupil of Filippino Lippi. 
The figures are graceful. Here once more we admire 



2o6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

the Quattrocentists' sense of natural beauty displayed in the 
mingling of mountain and marine scenery. 

No. 204. Att. Bronzino. Portrait of Bianca Capello. 

This is a striking likeness of the Venetian adventuress, 
proclaimed "the Daughter of the Republic," who enslaved, 
and afterwards married the Grand-Duke Francis I. 

No. 372. Att. Botticelli. Portrait of a Youth. 

Formerly ascribed to Andrea del Castagno. An expressive 
and interesting type of the Florentine gallant wearing the 
scarlet " lucco " and black cap, " beretta calzarea," of the 
fifteenth century. He recalls a type frequently met with 
in the master's paintings. 

No. 353. Botticelli. Portrait of a Lady, "La bella 
Simonetta " (?). 

The attribution to Botticelli of this striking, if curiously 
homely portrait of the Genoese gentlewoman Simonetta 
Cattani Vespucci, known as " La bella Simonetta," is con- 
tested. 

No. 358. GHIRLANDAJO. The Adoration of the Magi. 

A somewhat inferior but finely coloured replica of the 
painting in the Uffizi. 

No. 355. LUCA SlGNORELLi. Holy Family. 

The familiar theme is treated with marked originality. 
The Child is dictating His message to S. Catherine, seated 
on the left, whilst S. Joseph looks over her shoulder. The 
brilliant colour of the draperies contrasts with the somewhat 
heavy flesh tints. This fine work yields little to Mantegna 
in depth and sincerity. 

No. 357. Att. Botticelli. Madonna and Child. 

The attitude of the Virgin is forced ; note, however, the 
symbolic rose-bush familiar to us in his other works. 

No. 365. Mariotto Albertinelli. Holy Family. 

The Virgin kneels before the Child, wrapped in red and 
white swaddling clothes, the colours of the Foundling 
Hospital at Florence, and the entire composition both in 
colour and feeling recall the art of Leonardo da Vinci and 
Lorenzo di Credi. 

No. 249. Il PONTORMO. Portrait of an Old Man. 

The keen, hawk-like profile reminds us not a little of Dante 
in the subtle modelling of the stern features. One of 
Pontormo's best portraits. 

No. 362. JACOPO Boateri. Holy Family. 



THE PITTI GALLERY 207 

An attractive little picture formerly ascribed to Francia, 
whose delicate art has influenced his pupil. The trans- 
parency of the colour is especially noteworthy. 

No. 11. PONTORMO. Martyrdom of 'the 10,00c Christians 
o?i Mount Ararat, P rede I la. 

Considerable skill is shown in the grouping of the number- 
less small figures. The subject treated, notably by Carpaccio 
at Venice, is incorrectly described as the " Forty Crowned 
Saints ". These were four only, and the scene depicts the 
Armenian Christians on Mount Ararat. 

No. 354. Att. Lorenzo di Credi. Holy Family. 

A school-piece often repeated in several private collections 
in Florence. Note the flooded landscape. 

Nos. 367, 378. Andrea del Minga. The Creation of 
Eve, the Exile fro?n the Garden of Eden. 

These effective but somewhat theatrical compositions are 
drawn from the cartoons of Baccio Bandinelli. The sculp- 
tural rather than pictorial influence of Michelangelo upon 
the art of his day is well marked here. The serpent, it 
should be noted, is invested with human shape. 

No. 140. G. Bugiardini. Portrait of a Lady, "La 
Monaca " (the Nun). 

The traditional attribution to Leonardo accounts in a 
measure for the celebrity of this picture. Certain features, 
notably the Colonnade of Piazza della SS. Annunziata, where 
the Niccolini family lived, and the Convent of the same 
name, where, to judge from her mourning attire, she probably 
retired on her widowhood, being known in the family as " the 
Nun," support the suggestion of her connexion with that name. 

No. 382. SODOMA. Portrait. 

This powerful but unpleasing likeness is also ascribed to 
Girolamo Genga, a pupil of Luca Signorelli. 

No. 379. PONTORMO. Adoratio?i of the Magi. 

The composition departs in several particulars from tradi- 
tion. The King has no crown, the ox and ass are omitted, 
and the gifts are a single gold cup. Simplicity takes the 
place here of the pomp and circumstance dear to earlier 
artists. 

No. 384. Att. PlERO DEL POLLAIUOLO. S. Sebastian. 

The realistic representation in which suffering, as was 
usual with the Tuscan artists, is not idealized, points to a 
Northern Italian master. The small head, long limbs, and 



2o8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

well-developed feet are characteristic of Jacopo de' Barbari's 
art. 

No. 388. Att. Filippino Lippi. The Death of Lucretia. 

This decorative composition formed the front panel of a 
dower-chest. The story is told with all the graceful fancy of 
Botticelli. Mr. Berenson calls the artist Amico di Sandro, 
since he was evidently influenced by that painter. The 
central group is full of life, and the actors move with grace 
and freedom. 

Corridor* of the Columns 

So called from the two fine alabaster pillars supporting the 
ceiling. 

The collection of portrait miniatures of celebrities formed 
by Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici, some 378 in number, is 
being catalogued. Among the likenesses identified so far 
we note : — 

No. 80. Henri II, King of France. 

No. 86. Stephen Bathory, King of Poland. 

No. 147. Bianca Capello. 

No. 148. The Grand-Duke Cosimo II. 

No. 151. Queen Elisabeth. 

No. 167. Cardinal de Richelieu. 

No. 271. Oliver Cromwell. 

No. 347. A lady of the Pitti family (compare with a 
portrait, No. 351, Hall of Prometheus, where she reappears 
in widow's garb). 

No. 207. Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. Portrait, " The 
Goldsmith ". 

This interesting likeness was formerly ascribed to Leonardo 
da Vinci, whose art no doubt influenced the painter. The 
features are carefully modelled. Note the jewel which gives 
the picture its name. 

No. 43. Franciabigio. Portrait. 

Delicate harmonies of green and grey tones form the key- 
note of this attractive portrait, probably of the artist himself, 
executed about 15 14. 

No. 44. Raphael. Portrait of a Youth. 

Nothing in the poorly modelled features and the coarse 
brush-work of the drapery recalls the contemporary masterly 
portraits of Angelo Doni and his wife (Nos. 59, 61). 






THE PITTI GALLERY 209 

No. 375. MANTEGNA. Portrait of a Nobleman of the 
Gonzaga Family. 

The likeness of this shrewd, hard-headed statesman, 
painted about 1474, has been identified in Mantegna's frescoes 
at Mantua. 

No. 376. Lorenzo Costa. Portrait of Giovanni II 
Bentivoglio. 

This is a spirited portrait of the statesman under whose rule 
the city of Bologna attained a high degree of prosperity. 
Giovanni, the fifth in the line of the Bentivoglio rulers of 
Bologna, was overpowered by Pope Julius II, dispossessed of 
his state and driven into exile. He died at Milan in 1508. 

No. 370. Att. POLLAIUOLO. S.Jerome. 

The influence of Leonardo is plainly discernible in this 
interesting work, too much damaged, however, by restoration 
to be appreciated. 

Room of Justice 

No. 389. Att. Tintoretto. Portrait of a Sculptor. 

A school-piece. The model of a horse upon the table has 
given the picture its name. 

No. 221. School of Titian. Portrait of Costanza 
Bentivoglio. 

The homely countenance is set off by the rich attire of a 
Ferrarese gentlewoman. The painting, in which the careful 
treatment of drapery, characteristic of Titian's school forms a 
feature, is dated 1520. 

No. 409. Sebastiano del Piombo. Portrait. 

Though much darkened, this is yet one of the artist's 
most striking portraits. The sinister-looking merchant may 
be likened to Shakespeare's Shylock. 

No. 3. Tintoretto. Venus a?id Vulcan. 

An early work. 

No. 405. BONIFAZIO DE' PlTATi. Christ among the 
Doctors. 

An interesting and finely coloured painting of the artist's 
maturity. Note the life-like movement of the figures. 

No. 84. BONIFAZIO DE' PlTATi. " Sacra Conversazione.'" 

A brilliant piece of colour formerly attributed to Palma 
Vecchio. The subject commemorates the discovery of 
America by Spain, and the consequent extension of Chris- 

14 



2io FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

tianity to the New World. The kneeling figure with a crown 
by his side, to whom the Child hands the globe, is S. Ferdinand 
of Castile, and the female Saint is S. Elizabeth of Aragon, 
Queen of Portugal, known in Spain as S. Isabel de Paz. 

No. 130. Il BASSANO. Portrait of an Old Lady. 

A notable likeness of dignified old age. The pleasing 
features are subtly modelled. The crimson chair introduces 
a welcome note of colour in the scheme of grey and black 
tones. 

Nos. 121, 128. MORONE. Portrait of 'a Lady and Gentle- 
man. 

These are a pair of excellent portraits. No. 121 shows 
marked distinction in the portrayal of advancing years. 

Neither is the very modern-looking portrait of a Venetian 
gentlewoman (No. 128) less interesting. Note the rich attire, 
and scarlet and black slashed sleeve, contrasting with the 
homely simplicity of the head-dress. 

No. 161. BONIFAZIO DE' PlTATl. The Finding of 
Moses. 

This charming composition, the front of a dower-chest, 
was formerly ascribed to Giorgione. The figures move with 
characteristic grace in a luminous Venetian landscape. The 
biblical episode is surrounded with all the circumstance of a 
Venetian nobleman's courtly existence. 

No. 89. Bonifazio DE' Pitati. The Repose During the 
Flight into Egypt. 

In this fanciful representation of the sacred episode the 
Angels minister unto His needs. The stretch of blue-green 
sea in the distance invests the scene with a peculiar charm. 

No. 54. Titian. Portrait of Pietro Aretino (1492- 

1557). 

The masterly breadth and vigour of Titian's conceptions 
are particularly visible in this superb portrait, wherein he 
lays bare the character of Pietro Aretino, literary adventurer 
and social parasite, for whom the world was an oyster to be 
opened.' We have a letter addressed by Aretino to Cosimo I 
from Venice in 1545, in which, whilst complaining of the 
painter's neglect of his silk-velvet and brocade gown and his 
gold chain, he pays him unconsciously the tribute due to his 
genius. " In very truth the countenance breathes life, blood 
flows in my veins, and I behold myself alive in effigy ; yet 
had I given the master but a few more coins, he would have 



THE PITTI GALLERY 211 

painted my silk and velvet brocade and cloth with greater 
heed, the gold chain is well painted indeed." The man's 
character can be read in the lines of the handsome, coarse 
features, the insolent, self-satisfied glance, and the sardonic 
smile of the venal satirist feared by friend and foe alike. 

No. 65. Tintoretto. Portrait. 

An interesting work. Characteristic vigour is shown in the 
delineation of the rugged features. 

No. 495. Titian. Portrait of Tommaso Mosti. 

Originally painted on a panel, this fine portrait has suffered 
sad damage by transfer long since to canvas ; and recent 
restoration has destroyed the balance of tone altogether. 

Room of Flora 

No. 415. Sustermans. Portrait of Ferdinand II. 

Painted probably about 1624-27 between the artist's so- 
journ at Vienna and his departure for Rome. 

Nos. 441, 421, 436, 416. POUSSIN. Landscapes. 

No. 421 is the best of these scenes. The Roman Cam- 
pagna offered the seventeenth-century landscape painters a 
wide field for their interpretation of classical antiquity. The 
familiar hills are dotted with ruins, and the expanses of plain 
and distant sea are rendered with a distinct feeling for their 
peculiar charm. 

No. 135. Salvator Rosa. Battle-scene. 

A characteristic work by this artist. The struggle be- 
tween the horse and foot soldiers is rendered with a great 
sense of realism. 

No. 426. Francesco Furini. Adam and Eve. 

No. 427. Franciabigio. The Calumny of Apelles. 

Much darkened, this work conveys but an indistinct im- 
pression of the scene so dramatically interpreted by Botticelli 
(Uffizi, No. 1 182). Ignorance and Suspicion tempt King 
Midas ; Calumny, Deceit, and Cunning are grouped at the 
foot of the throne. Calumny drags the victim by the hair. 
His advocate, Sincerity, pleads for mercy. Truth, a nude 
figure, holds a mirror in her hand. 

No. 429. RUYSDAEL. Stormy Skies. 

This is an interesting though perhaps not a first-rate 
example of the master's art. The grey foaming waters, lower- 
ing sky, and storm-tossed trees are faithfully rendered. 



212 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 394. Lo SCARSELLINO. The Birth of a Prince. 

This curious work gives us an accurate picture of the 
domestic surroundings of bygone days. 

No. 149. Bronzino. Portrait of Guidobaldo II, Duke 
of Urbino. 

Vasari's description of a portrait of Ippolito dei Medici by 
Pontormo led to the former attribution of this striking work. 
The Prince is painted here again with a hound by his side 
(compare No. 138, evidently at an earlier age). Note the 
hard, dry colour characteristic of the earlier Florentine school 
of portraitists. 

No. 39. Bronzino. Holy Family. 

This is a charming work. The Virgin, a fine statuesque 
figure, watches over the Child's slumbers, extended in an 
attitude of perfect repose. The colour is warm and bright. 

No. 440. Douven. Portrait. 

This carefully executed work has also been attributed to 
Cornelis de Vos. 

No. 434. Bronzino. Portrait of Luca Martini. 

A first-rate likeness drawn with all the vigour of Sebasti- 
ano del Piombo. Luca Martini was Governor of Pisa under 
Cosimo I. He drained the marshes around the city. The 
villages where he worked are enumerated on the map in his 
hand. 

The celebrated statue of Venus, commissioned by King 
Louis of Etruria, for whom Canova had undertaken to copy 
the Venus dei Medici, stands in this room. 

Room of the Putti 

Later Italian and Dutch paintings, mostly of secondary 
importance, fill this room. We may mention : — 

Nos. 451, 455. Rachel Ruysch. Fruit and Flowers. 

The lizard sucking an egg, and the bird's nest and corn in 
the foreground, are most delicately painted, whilst the flowers 
are rendered with wonderful dexterity. 

No. 453. Salvator Rosa. An Allegory of Peace De- 
stroying the Weapons of War. 

No. 470. Salvator Rosa. Philosophers in the Grove. 

A work of the artist's maturity. The play of light and 
.shadow amidst the trees is skilfully rendered, and the group- 
ing of the figures is good. Note the act of Diogenes, about 



THE PITTI GALLERY 213 

to throw away his cup at the sight of a youth drinking water 
in the palm of his hand. 

No. 400. HONDEKOETER. Farmyard- scene. 

A pleasing picture. 

Gallery of Poccetti 

Two pictures only are worth notice, viz. : — 
No. 437. School of Van Dyck. The Repose in the 
Flight to Egypt. 

The group of dancing angels in this picture was engraved 
under the title of " Queen of the Angels ". 

No. 408. Sir Peter Lely. Oliver Cromwell, 
A fine likeness of the great statesman painted at the ap- 
parent age of 50 years. 

Two colossal busts of Napoleon and of Jupiter, the latter 
a copy from a Greek original, together with three fine marble 
tables, complete the decoration. 

Vestibule Leading to the Corridor 

No. 133. Salvator Rosa. Battle-scene. 

This fine painting was the first important work executed 
after Salvator Rosa's arrival in Florence. The artist conveys 
the feeling of stress and heat in the tumult of battle with 
great skill and realism. The unhorsed soldier with a shield 
bearing the letters Saro is said to be intended for himself. 



2i 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



Plan of the Ac cade mi a 
delle Belle artjl 



1 

1 


o 


1 1 

3 2 4 


6 


1 1 




7 





1±L 



10 



1. Long Vestibule and Tribune 

2. Room of Perugino 

3. Room I of Botticelli, or Prim aver a 

4. Room II of Botticelli 

5. Hall I of the Tuscan Masters 

6. Hall II of the Tuscan Masters 

7. Hall III of the Tuscan Masters 

8. Room I of Fra Angelico 

9. Room II of Fra Angelico 

10. Room of the XIV^S Century Masters 



THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT AND MODERN 
ART— ACCADEMIA DELLE BELLE ARTI 

Founded in 1784, and the third only in date, the Ac- 
cademia Delle Belle Arti yields nothing in importance to the 
other two great Museums of Florence. The Grand-Duke 
Pietro-Leopoldo determined to institute an Academy of Fine 
Arts, taking over the Hospice of San Matteo, and trans- 
ferring the foundation to Santa Maria Nuova. The premises 
of the hospital founded in the fourteenth century by the 
merchant Lemmo di Balduccio da Montecatini and dedicated 
to the Patron Saint of the Money-Changers, were rebuilt by 
the architect Paoletti to house the School of Art and Museum 
formed with the pictures removed from the churches and 
religious houses suppressed by the Grand-Duke and subse- 
quently by the N apoleonic Government. Though numbering 
comparatively few pictures, the collection affords a unique 
and comprehensive survey of four centuries of Religious Art. 
The collection of Modern Paintings on the first floor is only 
of relative interest. We enter the Gallery through a fine 
vestibule ending in a tribune or apse with two transepts, 
designed by Prof. De Fabris in 1882, where the colossal 
statue of David by Michelangelo is now placed. 

The year 1 504 witnessed the completion of the great 
statue, which was set up, in accordance with the artist's 
wish, upon the "Ringhiera" or terraced steps of the Palazzo 
della Signoria. Signs of damage to the marble determined 
the authorities to provide for its removal under cover, a task 
successfully accomplished in 1873. A fine copy placed in the 
original position (1910) admits of the better appreciation of 
a work for which Michelangelo's genius rightly divined the 
need of a massive architectural background. 

The walls of the vestibule are hung with arras and 
Florentine sixteenth-century tapestry, the most notable 

215 



216 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

being the seven panels depicting the Days of the Creation, 
especially " Adam " and the " Birth of Eve," after cartoons 
by Bronzino. The artist displays a quaint fancy in the 
" Naming of the beasts and fowls of the air ". Note the cats 
and mice walking in pairs, and the reptiles led by the tortoise 
and the snail. The gold thread woven in the tissue en- 
hances the brilliancy of the colours. In front are placed six 
unfinished statues by Michelangelo, from the Boboli Gardens, 
presented by King Victor-Emmanuel III (1909), and a 
collection of casts of his works elsewhere. The four Captives 
and the Genius of Victory (No. 2, on the left) were intended 
for the tomb of Julius II in Rome. The Genius of Victory 
bears a noteworthy resemblance to the statue upon the 
monument to Giuliano dei Medici in San Lorenzo. S. 
Matthew (No. 2) was one of a series, never carried out, of 
the Apostles for the facade of the Duomo, designs for which 
had been furnished by Michelangelo. The fine plaster and 
clay " torso" (south transept) may be recognized in the 
contemporary portrait of the sculptor above ; it was pre- 
sumably his own working model. 

Room of Perugino 

The most important paintings only are mentioned. 

No. 52. Cosimo Rosselli. 5. Barbara with SS. John 
the Baptist and Matthew. 

Delicacy and bright, clear colour distinguish this artist's 
compositions. Though lacking in originality, he influenced 
greater men, such as Ghirlandajo and Fra Bartolommeo. 

No. 97. Fra Bartolommeo. The Vision of S.Bernard. 

A beautiful composition displaying in a high degree the 
artist's poetic tenderness. The dignified figures of SS. 
Benedict and John the Evangelist are in marked contrast 
with the rapt expression of S. Bernard. This picture is held 
to be Fra Bartolommeo's first work after joining the Do- 
minican Order. The beautiful landscape is reminiscent of 
his birthplace, Prato. 

No. 54. Att. to Filippo Lippi. S.Jerome. 

An interesting work but somewhat grey in tone, formerly 
ascribed to Andrea del Castagno. 

No. 56. Perugino. The Descent from the Cross. 

Grief has rarely been expressed with a more masterly 



THE ACCADEMIA 217 

dignity and variety of expression. Note the attitude of the 
weeping Magdalen and the Virgin, the embodiment of 
sorrowing motherhood. Perugino is said to have portrayed 
Raphael as the Evangelist. 

No. 57. Perugino. The Assumption. 

This great altar-piece, one of the artist's grandest compo- 
sitions, was painted for the monks of Vallombrosa in 1 500. 
The attitudes of the Saints are characteristic, one foot being 
always raised from the ground. The colour is fine but some- 
what ill-balanced owing to restoration. In S. Michael we 
seem to recognize the young Raphael. The other Saints 
are : SS. Benedict, Giovan-Gualberto (the Founder of the 
Monastery), and Bernardo degli Uberti, General of the 
Vallombrosan Order. 

Nos. 241, 242. Perugino. Portraits of Dom. Baldassare 
Abbot and Dom. Biagio of Milan, General of the Vallom- 
brosan Order. 

These speaking likenesses are treated with Perugino's 
accustomed subtlety. The devout upward gaze indicates 
their position, kneeling, as donors on either side of the 
Assumption (No. 57). 

No. 5. Fra Bartolommeo. S. Vincent Ferrer. 

The head of the Saint is drawn with power and feeling. 

Nos. 39, 60. Botticini. SS. Augustine and Monica. 

These sadly damaged paintings are part of a polyptych, 
formerly ascribed to Antonio Pollaiulo. 

No. 61. Andrea del Sarto. Two Boy Angels. 

These attractive little boys rival Raphael's most charming 
representations of child-life. This panel formed the centre, 
beneath an ancient effigy of the Virgin, of the artist's great 
altar-piece painted for the monks of Vallombrosa. The wings 
with the attendant Saints now form one picture (No. 76). 

No. 63. Mariotto Albertinelli. The Trinity. 

A fine composition of warm deep colour. The gold back- 
ground forms an effective setting. The little Angels and 
cherub faces possess great loveliness. 

No. 76. Andrea del Sarto. Four Saints. 

We have here the three Patron Saints of the Vallombrosan 
Order familiar to us in Perugino's Assumption (No. 57) be- 
sides S. John the Baptist. We recognize Lucrezia del Fede 
in the Archangel Michael. The two panels now joined 
together were the wings of the great altar-piece above-men- 



218 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

tioned, together with No. 61. The composition is instinct 
with charm and tender feeling, but has suffered from restora- 
tion and exposure to weather. 

No. 66. Ghirlandajo. Madonna and Saints. 

The Virgin is enthroned amid architectural surroundings 
of great beauty. Saint Denis leans* upon his crozier. The 
Child blesses S. Dominic, S. Thomas Aquinas stands facing 
Him, whilst the Pope kneeling in the foreground is S. Clement. 

No. 67. Domenico Ghirlandajo. The Predella to the 
above depicts Episodes in the Lives of the Saints repre- 
sented above. 

The scenes are : (1) The execution of S. Denis and his 
miraculous resurrection : he walks away with his head under 
his arm. (2) A runaway horse kills a youth, his parents 
weep over the body ; S. Dominic brings him to life again, 
and the youth returns thanks to the Saint for the prodigy 
wrought on his behalf. (3) The Saviour entombed. (4) 
Pope Clement, exiled by Trajan to Kherson upon the Black 
Sea, causes water to flow from a rock to slake the thirst of 
the Christian prisoners sentenced to labour in the quarries. 
(5) S. Thomas Aquinas expounds the Dogma of the Incarna- 
tion to his scholars. 

First Room of Botticelli, or the " Primavera " 

The less important works are omitted. 

No. 68. Francesco Granacci. The Assumption of the 
Virgin. 

Brilliant colour distinguishes this artist's work. Vasari, 
recording this painting, executed for the nuns of Sto. Spirito 
(Costa San Giorgio), calls theesoldier-saint S. Fedele, a mis- 
take for S. Felix or S. George, whose church stood hard 
by the Nunnery. The others are SS. Catherine, Giovan- 
Gualberto, and Bernardo degli Uberti. 

No. 65. Luca Signorelli. Crucifixion. 

The distant view of the Red Sea — " the waters were a wall 
unto them on their right hand and on their left " (Exod. 
xiv. 22) — typifies the passage of Israel from the old order to 
the new. 

No. 71. Verrocchio. The Baptis7n of Christ. 

The tradition that Leonardo da Vinci, Verrocchio's great 
pupil, painted the figure of the kneeling Angel (profile) in the 




THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST 
From the painting by Andrea Verrocchio in Hie A trade). 



p. 218 



THE.ACCADEMIA 219 

foreground of his master's picture has been contested on 
technical grounds, but still finds supporters. This fine work 
affords conspicuous proof of that conscientious search for 
truth which is so distinctive a feature of Florentine art. 
The attitudes of the Saviour and S. John are sculptural. 
The landscape is very beautiful. 

No. 73. Botticelli. The Coronation of the Virgin. 
One of the artist's most poetic religious compositions. 
The Virgin, seated upon clouds, is crowned by God the 
Father. She looks benignly upon her votaries : SS. John 
the Evangelist, Augustine, Jerome, and Eloy. The Angels 
scattering flowers seem to move to unseen music, and recall 
Fra Angelico's heavenly choir. Damaged by restoration. 
No. 62. Filippo Lippi. The Coronation of the Virgin. 
The artist's most important work. He departs from 
tradition in setting the scene amid terrestrial surroundings, 
which, though impressive, produces a somewhat overcrowded 
effect. The diversity of the attendant Saints and kneel- 
ing Friars suggests life-portraiture. Fra Filippo himself 
kneels before S. John the Baptist. The lovely group of a 
female Saint with two children seems to forecast the painter's 
romantic passion, the features are so oddly suggestive of 
Lucrezia Buti, the fair Prato nun, who became the mother 
of Filippo Lippi. 

No. 74. Botticelli. Predella to the Coronation of the 
Virgin (73). 

These charming little scenes depict episodes in the at- 
tendant Saints' lives : (1) S. John the Evangelist at Patmos 
writing the Apocalypse. (2) S. Augustine in his study. (3) 
The Annunciation. (4) S. Jerome in prayer. (5) S. Eloy in 
his workshop. Eloy or Eligius was Master of the Mint 
under Clothaire II, and died as Bishop of Noyon in 659. 
No. 75. Andrea del Sarto. Pieta. 
A damaged fresco, formerly on the stairs leading to the 
Novitiate of the SS. Annunziata. 

No. 53. Perugino. Christ in the Garden of Olives. 
Unfortunate restoration has deprived this work of its 
colour-charm. But the grouping is effective, and the dis- 
ciples most natural attitudes justify Vasari's remark that " they 
show the power of sleep over grief". Painted about 1496. 

No. 77. Andrea del Sarto. Scenes from the Lives of 
Saints — Predella. 



220 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

These pleasing little compositions adorned the predella 
of the Paradisino altar-piece (Nos. 61, 76): (1) S. Michael 
overcomes Lucifer. (2) The ordeal of S. Giovan-Gualberto. 
(3) The Decollation of S. John the Baptist. (4) The death 
of S. Bernardo degli Uberti. The central scene, now lost, 
probably represented the Annunciation. 

No. 78. Perugino. The Crucifixion. 

The Virgin is supported by S. Jerome, the Patron Saint 
of the Monastery for which the picture was painted. The 
characteristic charming landscape recurs also in his famous 
fresco in S. M. Maddalena dei Pazzi. 

No. 79. Filippo Lippi. The Virgin" Adoring the 
Christ-Child. 

Contessina de' Bardi, the wife of Cosimo the Elder, com- 
missioned this picture for the Hermitage of Camaldoli which 
is here suggested by the rugged crags and woodland of the 
background. The robes of Virgin and Child recall Fra 
Angelico's delicate colour. The Hermit-Saint kneeling is 
S. Romuald, founder of the Camaldolese Order. 

No. 80. Botticelli. The Allegory of Spring, "La 
Primavera ". 

Vasari's description of " Venus, whom the Graces bestrew 
with roses, denoting the Spring," is inadequate. Sometimes 
described as an allegory within an allegory allusive to con- 
temporary incident ; the beautiful scene may be interpreted 
rather to signify the birth and fruition of Love. Botticelli 
has chosen the sequence of the spring months to translate his 
theme in accents intelligible to his century of poets and 
scholars. Girlhood pursued by eager Youth — " the frolic 
wind that breathes the spring, Zephyr with Aurora playing," 
flees from the embrace of March. As Flora crowned " with 
. . . roses washed in dew," she scatters April blossoms. 
Her blithe step seems to mark the cadence of the mystic 
dance beyond. Upright amid " arched walks of twilight 
groves " stands Maia, the Earth- Mother, a stately figure of 
matronhood. Her warning hand is raised towards the three 
sister-Graces who, typifying Woman, tread Life's measure 
unconscious of Cupid's dart. Mercury, the son of Maia 
and Jupiter, symbolizes fruition, through the touch of the 
Caduceus upon the myrtle and orange-blossoms overhead. 
He resembles Giuliano dei Medici, and tradition sees a 
likeness to Simonetta Vespucci, his mistress, in the profile 



THE ACCADEMIA 221 

turned to the left, amongst the Graces. Hence the sug- 
gestion of a reminiscence of the Joust of 1475. Be this as 
it may, Botticelli was probably inspired at once by his 
attachment to the Medici and the tragic end of " II bel 
Giulio," no less than by the poetry of Lorenzo II Magnifico, 
in this exquisite composition. 

No. 81. Pacchiarotto. The Visitation. 

The art of this representative Sienese painter strikes a 
tender contrast with the realism of contemporary Florentine 
art. Mark how the deference of Youth and the knowledge 
of a pre-ordained mission are revealed in the graceful 
attitude of the Visitants. The attendant Saints, SS. Anthony 
of Padua, the Baptist, Nicholas of Ban, Anthony Abbas, and 
Leonard, the patron of prisoners, kneeling, form an im- 
pressive group. 

No. 82. Filippo LlPPl. The Nativity. 

A charming scene. The radiancy proceeding from the 
Child which illumines the scene stamps this work as one of 
the earliest attempts at chiaroscuro. The Hermit Hilarion is 
said to portray Roberto, the brother of Annalena Malatesta, 
the foundress of the convent bearing her name, for whom 
the picture was painted. 

Second Room of Botticelli 

No. 84. School of Verrocchio. Tobias and the Arch- 
angels. 

The Archangels and their charge stride forward with blithe 
and graceful step along a winding road amid scenery of which 
the warm greys and browns have all the quality of a sepia 
drawing. This picture has been ascribed variously to Pollai- 
uolo, Botticini, and Botticelli, whose art it distinctly recalls. 

No. 85. Botticelli. Madonna and SS. John the Baptist, 
Ambrose, Augustine, Barnabas, Michael, and Catherine. 

The Virgin's expression recalls that of the beautiful pensive 
countenance portrayed in the Mado?ina of the Pomegranate 
(Uffizi, No. 1289). An impressive array of Saints in gorgeous 
robes lines the steps of the throne, and the figure of S. 
Catherine is most striking. Much re-painted. The upper 
portion has been added. 

No. 80. Filippo Lippi. Predella Scenes. 

Executed with characteristic delicacy, these charming little 



222 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

scenes adorned the predella of the fine altar-piece (Louvre, 
No. 1344). Note the centre panel of the Virgin and Angels. 
The other two are S. Augustine in his study, and S. Frediano, 
Bishop of Lucca, arresting the flood of the Serchio, which 
threatened to destroy the city. 

No. 88. Botticelli. The Virgin Enthroned, with SS. 
Mary Magdalen, John the Baptist, Francis, and Catherine, 
and SS. Cosimo and Damiano kneeling. 

Sadly damaged by restoration, the attribution to Botticelli 
is disputed. The heads are forcibly drawn. 

Nos. 89, 93. Filippino Lippi. SS. Mary Magdalen and 
John the Baptist. 

Marked by a repellent austerity, these compositions formed 
the wings of a triptych, formerly ascribed to Andrea del 
Castagno. 

No. 90. Alessandro Capponi, surnamed Raffaellino del 
Garbo. The Resurrection. 

This is one of the earliest examples of oil-painting in 
Florentine art. A brilliantly coloured work, it is remarkable 
also for vigour and realism in the grouping. The graceful 
sleeping youth wearing an embroidered doublet is said to por- 
tray Niccolo Capponi. Vasari records how the painting com- 
missioned by the Capponi for their chapel at Monte-Oliveto 
was struck by lightning, so that all the gold upon the 
handsome frame expressly ordered vanished, leaving the 
picture intact ! 

No. 91. Att. to Filippino Lippi. S.Jerome. 

The composition is austere and grey. Painted for the Bene- 
dictine Community of S. Procolo, this picture has also been 
ascribed to Andrea del Castagno. 

No. 55. Filippo Lippi. Madonna and SS. Anthony, 
Francis, Cosimo, and Damiano. 

This fine altar-piece, so Vasari relates, was painted for the 
Chapter-house of Santa Croce. The attitudes of the attendant 
Saints are dignified and impressive. Note the decorative 
architecture. 

No. 72. Pesellino. Predella Scenes: Miracles of SS. 
Anthony of Padua, Cosimo, and Damiano, S. Francis Receiv- 
ing the Stigmata, the Nativity. 

Vasari's praise is not excessive. The drawing and soft colour 
are most delicate. The series consisted of five scenes, two of 
which were taken to the Louvre in 18 13 and not returned. S. 



THE ACCADEMIA 223 

Francis receiving the Stigmata and a Miracle of SS. Cosimo 
and Damian are copies. The others are the Nativity, the 
Martyrdom of SS. Cosimo and Damian, and a Miracle of S. 
Anthony, wherein the Saint, reproving a usurer for his avarice, 
reveals how the man's heart is not found in his dead body but 
in his coffers (Golden Legend). 

No. 94. Lorenzo di Credi. The Nativity. 

A very beautiful composition. Note the impressive group- 
ing and the scenery painted with characteristic delicacy. 
Bethlehem and the Message to the Shepherds are seen in the 
distance. 

Nos. 162, 157, 161, 158. Botticelli. Predella Scenes. 

The actions in these charming little episodes having re- 
ference to the Saints in Botticelli's great S. Barnaba altar- 
piece (No. 85) suggests a link between the two compositions. 
The Vision of S. Augustine and his Death would be separated 
by the impressive Risen Saviour from the scene of Salome 
with the Head of the Baptist. 

No. 161. S. Augustine Meditating by the Sea-shore upon 
the Trinity. 

A child is pouring water into a hole in the sand. In reply 
to the Saint's query, the child replies that his occupation is 
no more useless than the Saint's attempt with human brain to 
solve the sublime mystery (Golden Legend). 

No. 92. Lorenzo di Credi. The Nativity. 

We are in the presence of a true lover of Nature. The 
wild flowers*' that carpet the meadows and Tuscan hill-sides in 
the spring find their counterpart here in an exquisite medley 
amid " the verdure " with which Vasari records, " Lorenzo took 
such pains for the Nuns of Sta. Chiara ". The artist shows 
himself a worthy disciple of Leonardo da Vinci, in this one of 
his most attractive works. 

No. 98. Filippino Lippi. Desce?it from the Cross. 

Vasari records the commission of this painting for the 
Servites of the SS. Annunziata for the high altar of their 
church. " But the artist sickening, of a quinsy, he died leaving 
the work unfinished, and the Friars to mark their satisfaction 
directed Perugino to complete the picture." Although the 
soldier and the swooning Virgin are alone by Filippino, col- 
laboration has not marred the unity of the composition. 

No. 154. BOTTICINI. The Archangel Raphael and Tobias. 

A charming picture but sadly damaged, The expressive 



224 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

kneeling figure portrays the young Florentine nobleman Doni 
whose family escutcheon faces that of the Benedictines of the 
Badia. 

Rooms of the Tuscan Masters 

From the twelfth to the thirteenth century. 
The less important paintings have been omitted. 

Room I 

No. 99. Byzantine School. Thirteenth century. The 
Magdalen. 

An early Italian example of Graeco- Latin art. Note the 
episodes of the Saint's life, taken from the Apocryphal Gospels. 

No. 101. Bonaventura Berlinghieri da Lucca 
{circa 1235). Diptych — The Passion, The Virgin and Child, 
with SS. Peter, John the Baptist, and Clare. 

Progress is already noticeable in the marked individuality 
of the heads. The five Saints below are SS. Andrew, 
Anthony of Padua, Michael the Archangel, Francis, and John 
the Evangelist. 

No. 102. Cimabue. The Virgin Enthroned. 

This great work, in which we note for the first time an 
attempt at ideal representation distinct from convention, was 
commissioned, Vasari informs us, by the Benedictine Monks 
of S. Trinita, for the high altar of their church. The Old 
and New Dispensations are prefigured by the Major Prophets 
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,and Daniel, holding scrolls inscribed 
with their prophecies relative to the Incarnation. 

A frescoe by Andrea del Sarto, on the wall behind this 
painting, depicts this hall, formerly the women's ward of the 
old hospice. 

No. 103. Giotto. The Virgin Enthroned with Attend- 
ant Angels and Saints. 

As Miss Cruttwell justly observes, the placing side by side 
of these two works, by Cimabue and Giotto, enables us to 
appreciate the advance in art within a bare sixty years. The 
Virgin's attitude and mien are stately, but no longer conven- 
tional, and her semblance seems drawn from life. The 
foreshortening and perspective of the Angels and Saints is 
remarkable ; the latter are recognizable by their attributes. 

Nos. 104, 115. TaddeoGaddi. Scenes from the Gospels, 
The Life of Christ. 



THE ACCADEMIA 225 

This series consisted of thirteen scenes, the last, depicting 
Pentecost, is now at Berlin (No. 1073). Formerly attributed 
to Giotto upon the faith of Vasari's statement that Giotto 
had painted the wardrobe doors in the sacristy of S. Croce. 
Taddeo Gaddi does not depart from traditional forms, yet his 
representation of certain episodes is characterized by distinct 
originality. 

Note especially No. 107, The Presentation, and The 
Dispute of Christ with the Doctors, No. 108. 

Nos. 117, 126. Ten Scenes from the Life of S. Francis. 

These scenes form part of the series above described, 
and should be studied for their realism and marked individu- 
ality. 

No. 117. The Bishop of Assist' vests S. Francis with the 
Friar's Robe. 

One of the best of the series. 

No. 118. The Dream of Pope Innocent III. 

S. Francis supports the falling Church of S. John Lateran 
in Rome, symbolizing the Holy See. 

No. 119. Pope Innocent III Approves the Franciscan 
Rule. 

No. 1 20. S. Francis Riding in a Chariot of Fire Ap- 
pears to the Brethren. 

No. 121. The Proto-Martyrs of the Order are Execitted 
at Ceuta, by order of the Sultan of Morocco. 

No. 122. Pope Honorius III Confirms the Franciscan 
Rule. 

This is a very striking scene. 

No. 123. The Miracle of Greccio. 

The Christ-Child lies in the arms of the Saint, who is serving 
Mass as an acolyte. It should be borne in mind that S. 
Francis never took priest's orders. 

No. 124. S. Francis Appears before the Friars at the 
Chapter of Aries, whilst S. Anthony of Padua is preaching. 

No. 125 1. S. Francis Receives the Stigmata. 

No. 126. The Death and Burial of S. Francis. 

No. 127. Bernardo Daddi. Fourteenth century. The 
Virgin Enthroned and Saints. 

Above are half-length figures of Apostles and Prophets. 
The Virgin is supported on her right and left by SS. 
Pancras, Nereus, and John the Evangelist, the Baptist, 
Achilleus, and Reparata. The lower portion contains seven 

15 



226 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

scenes from the life of the Virgin, the eighth, the " Sposalizio," 
was exchanged with other pictures in 1817 for a painting of 
Samson and the Philistines by Domenichino, now at the 
Lucca Museum. 

No. 116. NICCOLO DI PlERO Gerini. Fourteenth cen- 
tury. The Entombment. 

This interesting work marks the advance already effected 
in religious art. 

No. 6. NiccOLd di Piero Gerini. Triptych— The 
Virgin giving her Girdle to S. Thomas. 

The Virgin is very beautiful. The attendant Saints are 
SS. George (in armour), Giovan-Gualberto, and SS. Lawrence 
and Francis. 

No. 129. Niccolo di Piero, Spinello Aretino, 
and Lorenzo di NiccoiA The Coronation of the Virgin. 

An elaborate polyptych. The Angels and Seraphs are 
very charming. The attendant Saints are, to the left : SS. 
John the Baptist, Matthew, Felicitas, and Andrew. To the 
right : SS. John the Evangelist, James the Great, and Bene- 
dict. 

No. 22 bis. Neri di Bicci. Coronation of the .Virgin. 

The Virgin, bowed before the Saviour, is very graceful. S. 
Michael holds the scales in which the blessed soul is pray- 
ing, whilst the sinner is seized by Satan crouching at the 
Archangel's feet. 

No. 131. Giovanni da Milano. The Dead Christ. 

This characteristic work may be regarded as a link be- 
tween the Tuscan and North Italian artistic ideals. The 
dull grey tones of the flesh tints contrast strikingly with the 
warm deep colour of the drapery. 

Nos. 132, 136. Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Scenes from 
the Life of S. Nicholas of Bari. 

The predella of an altar-piece recorded by Vasari as exist- 
ing in the Church of San Procolo. The artist is revealed 
to us in the capacity of an exquisite and fascinating story- 
teller. Satan, under the guise of a pilgrim, strangles the lad 
who has brought him an alms from his parents' table, and 
the kinsfolk stand round the bed weeping whilst the Saint 
brings him to life again. The force of his intercession is typi- 
fied by the rays passing through an open window, whilst the 
child kneeling upon the bed returns thanks for the prodigy. 
In the second scene S. Nicholas entreats the masters of 



^ 



THE ACCADEMIA 227 

certain grain-laden vessels, passing by the seaport of Myra, 
in Lycia, on their way to Constantinople, to leave each one 
a hundred measures of corn for the sustenance of the famished 
inhabitants. The Saint assures them that their store will 
suffer no diminution, and we behold the Angels pouring fresh 
supplies from above over their heads. In the third scene S. 
Nicholas casts a purse of gold into the chamber of certain 
maidens lest through stress of want they be driven to lead an 
evil life. And lastly the Saint's enthronement as Bishop of 
Nicaea affords the artist the opportunity to display all the 
brilliancy of his colour-scheme. 

No. 134. Ambrogio Lorenzetti. The Presentation in 
the Temple. 

Though sadly damaged and restored, this composition — 
the centre panel of a triptych — is a very beautiful work. 
The features of each Saint are so subtly characterized as to 
suggest direct portraiture. 

No. 137. Giovanni del Biondo. The Annunciation 
and Attendant Saints, Polyptych. 

The names of the Apostles and Fathers of the Church are 
inscribed on their likenesses. 

No. 139. Florentine School. Fourteenth century. 
Virgin and Saints, Polyptych. 

Much damaged, but interesting through the large number 
of the Saints introduced. 

Nos. 7, 141. Lorenzo di Niccolo di Pietro Gerini. 
The Virgin and SS. Lawrence and John the Evangelist, 
Triptych. 

SS. Lawrence and John the Evangelist stand on either 
side, and episodes from the life of the Virgin are naively 
depicted in the predella. 

No. 142. Roselli di Jacopo Franchi. The Corona- 
tion of the Virgin. 

An unknown donor caused this elaborate triptych to be 
painted " for the good of his soul ". A number of small figures 
of Saints are introduced. On the left pilaster, SS. Julian, 
Helena, Lucia, and SS. Peter Martyr and Louis of Toulouse 
at the foot ; opposite, the King S. Louis of France, S. Peter 
Celestine (Pope and founder of an Order of Hermits bear- 
ing his name). S. Felicitas and her seven sons, SS. Bene- 
dict and Anthony, SS. Vincent, Apollonia, and Margaret, 
fill the lower part of the composition. 



228 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

No. 147. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. 
The Marriage Procession of Boccaccio Adimari and Lisa 
Ricasoli. 

The civic architecture, social customs, and pageantry of 
mediaeval Florence are here pictured for us in striking and 
most attractive fashion. The bridal procession threads its 
way to church under a canopy of red and white, the city 
colours. To the left, where the musicians are seated, rises the 
" loggia degli Adimari," which stood in Via Calzaiuoli, near 
Piazza del Duomo. Two elderly gentlewomen, the parents of 
the bride and groom, seated in front of the baptistery, are 
quaintly characterized. Note their expression, in which 
unspoken opinions may be read. The busy attendants carrying 
the meats for the nuptial feast within doors remind us of Shake- 
speare's serving men. This fine panel off the dower-chest of 
Lisa Ricasoli (date about 1420) was bought in 1826 for fifty 
sequins. 

No. 133. Att. Pietro Lorenzetti. S. Umilta of Faenza 
(12 10- 1 3 10), Foundress of the Order of Vallombrosan Nuns, 
Polyptych. 

Eleven scenes from the life of the Saint surround her 
full-length figure. Rosanese de' Negusanti was the daughter 
of Alimonte de' Pasi, a nobleman of Faenza. Married 
reluctantly, in obedience to her mother, to Ugolotto de' 
Caccianemici, she bore him two children in nine years of 
marriage, after which they both agreed to embrace the re- 
ligious life. (1) The Saint prevails with her husband, obtain- 
ing her freedom. (2) Ugolotto is healed of his disorder 
through her prayers, and promises to take Orders. (3) 
Ugolotto is vested with the monk's habit. (4) Though 
illiterate, the Saint reads aloud in the refectory. (5) S. 
Umilta crosses the Lamone dry-shod. (6) She heals a friar 
by making the sign of the Cross on his hurt. (7) S. John 
the Baptist directs her to build a monastery in Florence. (8) 
Umilta begs alms in the city for the building. (9) A noble- 
man is restored to life through her prayers. (10) The Holy 
Ghost hovers about the Saint's ear inspiring her teachings. 
(11) The multitude behold with amazement the removal of 
the Saint's uncorrupted remains from their first burial-place. 
Her foundation of S. Giovanni was destroyed in 1529. 

No. 143. Lorenzo Monaco. The A?i?nmciation, with SS. 
Francis, Procolo, Catherine, and Anthony Addas, Triptych. 






THE ACCADEMIA 229 

The Virgin and Archangel are very graceful. 

Nos. 144, 145, 146. Lorenzo Monaco. Predella, Scenes 
from the Lives of S. Onuphrius the Her?nit, The Nativity, 
and a Miracle of S. Martin of Tours. 

These little paintings tell their own story with character- 
istic charm and naivete. 

No. 95. Michele Ghirlandajo. Predella, Two 
Angels and Four Saints. 

Probably SS. Martin, Augustine, Nicholas, and Antonio. 

No. 140. School of Orcagna. The Trinity with SS. 
Romualdo and Andrew, Triptych. 

These delicately painted little episodes in the life of S. 
Romualdo are worthy of study. Curiously enough the Patron 
Saint of the donor, Giovanni Ghiberti, is ignored. Painted 
in 1365. 

No. 148. Neri di Bicci. The Virgin with SS. Lucia, 
Margaret, Agnes, and Catherine. 

Painted doubtless after 1475, as the artist's records do not 
mention this painting. The Saints may be recognized by 
their attributes, the cup, the wheel, etc. 

No. 149. Neri di Bicci. Predella, Episodes from the 
Lives of Saints. 

The naive charm of these little compositions recalls Filippo 
Lippi's art. The Saints are : The Virgin, SS. Apollonia, and 
Ursula, and to the left : SS. John, Agnes, and Catherine. 

No. 164. Luca Signorelli. The Virgin and Saints. 

This important work, though sadly damaged, is yet most 
impressive. Painted about 1491, it displays Signorelli's 
power of dramatic representation to a remarkable degree. 
The heads of the two Bishops, S. Augustine, and especially 
S. Athanasius, who is writing " Quicunque Vult" upon 
his scroll, are very fine. 

No. 161. Luca Signorelli. Predella to the above, 
The Passion. 

The most notable episode is the Garden of Gethsemane, 
full of spirit and movement. 

No. 165. Gentile da Fabriano. The Adoration of the 
Magi, Triptych. 

This magnificent painting offers us an unrivalled spectacle 
of mediaeval pageantry. It is the artist's masterpiece, and 
he has spared no pains to characterize every detail of the 
scene with exquisite minuteness. 



230 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The legend opens in the upper corner to the left, with 
the King's vision of the Star of Bethlehem. Their train, 
numbering over a hundred tiny figures, wends its way over 
sinuous mountain roads descending to be grouped in brilliant 
array before the Nativity. The heads, all forcibly character- 
ized, are evidently portraits. The man with a red turban 
looking over the young King's shoulder is Gentile da Fabri- 
ano himself. The gorgeous embroideries are carried out in 
raised work of coloured and gilt plaster. The predella com- 
prises three scenes ; the Flight into Egypt, painted on a 
gold ground, is especially beautiful. The Presentation in the 
Temple is a copy, the original panel having been taken to 
the Louvre. Signed and dated 1423. 

No. 195. DOMENICO Ghirlandajo. The Nativity. 

Vasari, describing this beautiful painting, observes with 
just pride : " A Nativity which must astonish every person of 
intelligence, in which he painted his own portrait, and some 
shepherds which are considered divine ". Indeed, Ghirlan- 
dajo's art has never surpassed this close characterization, and 
our knowledge of the artist's personality suggests that his 
own portrait is the shepherd kneeling with devoutly folded 
hands. The exquisite scenery melts into a blue distance of 
sky and mountains, whence a brilliantly coloured cavalcade 
descends, beneath a Roman arch, with characteristic 
" Quattro-cento " classicism, discernible also in the pilasters 
and sarcophagus of the manger. A copy is now placed in the 
Sassetti Chapel in Sta Trinita which the picture once adorned. 

Room II 

A number of unimportant pictures have been omitted. 

No. 151. School of Botticelli. The Virgin and 
Child. 

A charming composition, but sadly damaged. 

Nos. 152, 150. Jacopo DEL Sellaio. Predella Paint- 
ings, The Visitation, The Entombment. 

Delicately painted. The Visitation is the better of the two 
compositions. 

No. 159. Alessio Baldovinetti. The Trinity. 

Its damaged condition robs this painting of much interest. 
The attendant Angels and Cherubs are very charming. 

No. 168. Fra Bartolommeo. Five Heads, The 
Saviour and Saints (Fresco). 




THE NATIVITY 
From the painting by D. Ghirlandajo in the Accademia 



£-230 



THE ACCADEMIA 231 

The figures by Fra Bartolommeo, viz. : The Saviour, the 
two Dominican Saints, one with a finger on his lips, and the 
other wearing a cowl, SS. Catherine of Alexandria, and Mary 
Magdalen are drawn with characteristic grace. 

No. 169. Mariotto Albertinelli. The Annunciation. 

Much re-painted. 

No. 171. Fra Bartolommeo. The Virgin and Child 
(Fresco). 

No. 172. Fra Bartolommeo. S. Peter Martyr. 

The artist portrays his friend Girolamo Savonarola under 
the features of the Dominican Saint murdered near Verona 
in 1252. A forcible likeness. 

No. 175. Michele Ghirlandajo. Predella with Saints. 

These are : SS. Ippolito, Reparata, Matthias, Thecla, 
Jerome, Paul the Apostle, Anastasia, Virgin and Martyr, 
Lawrence, Euphrosyne, and Maurus Abbot. 

No. 167. Mariotto Albertinelli. Virgin and Saints. 

Nos. 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290. Granacci. Scenes 
from the Lives of Saints. 

These compositions were intended by the Nuns of S. 
Apollonia to surround an altar-piece designed, Vasari tells us, 
by Michelangelo. The subjects are : No. 285, The Trial of 
S. Agatha. 287, S. Lucia. 288, S. Agnes. 289, S. 
Catherine. 290, S. Apollonia. 

No. 179. Angelo Bronzino. Portrait of Cosimo I. 

This portrait of Cosimo I as a youth is recorded by 
Vasari. 

The fresh and vigorous laurel shoot typifies the younger 
branch of the family tree, of which the elder was cut off in 
the person of Alessandro dei Medici, murdered in 1537. 

No. 180. Angelo Bronzino. Portrait of Laudomia 
dei Medici. 

Laudomia dei Medici was the sister of Lorenzino, the 
murderer of Duke Alessandro dei Medici. She married as 
her second husband Piero Strozzi, the eldest son of Filippo 
Strozzi, the patriot and adversary of the Medici. 

On an Easel 

No. 166. Fra Angelico. Descent from the Cross y 
Triptych. 

The delicate colouring lends an ethereal charm to the 



23 2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

dramatic scene. The grouping, nevertheless, is forcible. 
The man with a black cap standing upon the ladder is 
Michelozzi the sculptor. 

This triptych, one of the artist's greatest works, was painted 
for Sta. Trinita. The pilasters are beautifully ornamented 
with figures of Saints and Prophets. The three scenes in the 
pinnacles, " Noli me tangere," Resurrection, and the Empty 
Tomb, are by Lorenzo Monaco, the master of Fra Angelico. 

Room III 
This room is filled with large but artistically unimportant 
works. Note, however, the following : — 

On an Easel 

No. 70. Masaccio. S. Anne Enthro7ied with the Virgin 
and Child. 

The union of these three persons in a symbolic represen- 
tation of the Trinity upon earth is uncommon in Italian art, 
though frequently met with in the northern schools. A fine 
work, impressive despite much unhappy restoration. 

No. 200. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. Por- 
trait of Niccolb Acciajuoli ( 1 3 1 o- 1 366). 

Niccolo Acciajuoli, the great Florentine statesman, and 
Grand-Seneschal of the Kingdom of Naples under Queen 
Joanna, was an enlightened patron of Art and Letters. The 
intimate friend of Petrarch and Boccaccio. 

We retrace our steps to the first Room of Fra Angelico. 

The most interesting pictures only are noticed. 

No. 243. Fra Angelico. Six Scenes from the Lives of 
SS. Cosiino and Da?niano. 

These interesting little compositions formed the predella 
of the altar-piece in the Chapel of the Corporation of Painters 
in the great cloister of the Annunziata. The episodes are : 
(1) Contrary to his vows Damiano accepts pecuniary reward 
from a patient. The Saviour appears to S. Cosimo to 
justify his brother's act. (2) Lycias, the Pro-Consul of Cilicia, 
commands the Saints and their three little brothers to abjure 
Christianity. (3) The five brothers cast successively into 
the sea are saved by Angels. (4) The Saints are thrown 
into a fiery furnace, whereupon the flames envelop the 
executioners. (5) They are sentenced to be shot and the 
arrows recoil upon the archers. (6) The five Saints at length 
achieve martyrdom by decapitation. 



THE ACCADEMIA 233 

No. 246. Fra Angelico. The Entombment. 

Amongst the group of Holy Women we notice a beautiful 
S. Catherine, and the Beata Villana, whose relics were the 
property of the confraternity. Villana, a widowed Florentine 
gentlewoman, devoted her life to the care of the poor, and 
died in 1360 at the age of twenty-eight. 

Nos. 231, 247. Att. Fra Angelico. Alb ertus Magnus 
with his Disciples, The School of S. Tho?nas Aquinas, 
Predella. 

Part t of an altar-piece in S. Marco. Albertus Magnus was 
an eminent Dominican scholar and theologian. His lectures 
at Paris were so numerously attended that, forced to abandon 
the hall, he lectured out of doors. Appointed Bishop of 
Ratisbon by Pope Alexander IV, he resigned and died at 
Cologne in 1280. His most famous pupil was S. Thomas 
Aquinas, recognizable by the sun on his breast, whom we 
see in No. 247, the companion painting. 

The Saint has on his left S. Louis, King of France ; op- 
posite are the heresiarchs, Arius, Sabellius, and Averrhoes. 
Two symbolic figures, Speculative Theology with an eagle 
and Logic with the terrestrial globe, stand in the comers. 

Nos. 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 253, 254, 253. Alessio 
Baldovinetti and other Pupils of Fra Angelico. 
Thirty -five Scenes fro7n the Life of Christ and the Virgin. 

These interesting little paintings decorated the cupboard or 
chest in which the treasure of the SS. Annunziata was kept in 
that church. The first series of three scenes, the Marriage 
Feast of Cana, the Baptism, and Transfiguration (No. 233), 
are alone by Alessio Baldovinetti. The Baptism should be 
compared with Verrocchio's great work (No. 71). 

Note the beautiful Flight into Egypt (No. 235). The Way- 
farers form a charming group, set in the characteristic and 
familiar landscape. 

No. 227. Fra Angelico. The Virgin Enthroned with 
Saints. 

The architectural decoration in coloured marbles of the 
throne forms a dignified setting to the impressive group of 
Saints assembled round the Virgin, SS. Cosimo and Damiano, 
John the Evangelist, Lawrence, Francis, and Peter Martyr. 

Nos. 257,258. Fra Angelico. Scenes from the Lives 
of SS. Cosimo and Damiano. 

These delicate little compositions are portions of the predella 



234 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

of an altar-piece recorded by Vasari, being over the high altar 
of San Marco. The predella was broken up, and one episode, 
that of the execution of SS. Cosimo and Damiano, is now at 
the Louvre (No. 1298), whilst other portions are at Munich 
(Nos. 601-4). No. 257 depicts the miraculous healing of a man 
whose leg had been amputated, and replaced by that of a 
dead negro, the natural colour being restored through the 
Saint's intercession. No. 258 shows us their burial. 

No. 249. Fra Angelico. Pieta and Adoration of the 
Magi. 

A characteristic and charming work. 

No. 250. Fra Angelico. The Crucifixion. 

This picture was painted for, and brought from the Chapel 
of the Confraternity of S. Lucia in the SS. Annunziata. 

No. 265. Fra Angelico. The Virgin and Child with 
Six Saints. 

The Franciscan Saints are SS. Francis of Assisi, Anthony 
of Padua, Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, the Dominican, Peter 
Martyr, and the Medici Patron Saints Cosimo and Damiano. 

Nos. 263, 264. Filippo Lippi. The Archangel Gabriel 
and S. John the Evangelist, the Virgin and S. Anthony. 

Indifferent, somewhat darkened paintings, but still charm- 
ing. 

No. 266. Fra Angelico. The Last Judgment. 

The artist has evidently sought his inspiration in Orcagna's 
great composition in S. Maria Novella. The episode of the 
Blest led by dancing Angels entering the flower- starred 
precincts of the New Jerusalem, is perhaps one of Fra 
Angelico's most felicitous conceptions of Paradise. The 
idyllic scene stands forth in sharp contrast with that of the 
Wicked, whose feelings are depicted with a directness that 
enables us to read their besetting sins both in their counten- 
ance and attitudes. The portion depicting the torments of 
Hell is by a pupil of Fra Angelico. 

Second Room 

A number of unimportant or much damaged works are 
omitted. 

No. 9. Pacino di Bonaguida. The Crucifixion with 
Attendant Saints. 

Pacino was a contemporary of Giotto but does not attain 



_ 






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THE ACCADEMIA 235 

his level of originality or breadth. Nevertheless, the Saints 
are powerfully characterized. Note to the left, SS. Nicholas 
and Bartholomew ; facing, SS. Florentius and Luke. 

No. 138. Att. Orcagna. The Vision of S. Bernard, 
Triptych. 

Painted about 1375 for the chapel at the Badia where 
Filippino Lippi's fine work now hangs. The predella 
paintings depict scenes from the life of S. Benedict. 

No. 130. Puccio Di SlMONE. The Virgin and Child 
with Saints, Polyptych. 

An interesting but much re-painted work by this notable 
Sienese fourteenth-century master. 

No. 128. Spinello Aretino. The Virgin Enthroned 
and Four Saints. 

A sadly damaged painting brought from the Convent of 
S. Andrea at Lucca. The Saints are, SS. Paulinus, Bishop 
of Nola, John the Baptist, Andrew, and Matthew. Note the 
graceful attitude of the Angel. 

No. 28. Neri di Bicci. The Annunciation. 

An interesting work of delicate colour. 

No. 16. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. 
Tobias and the Archangels. 

No. 10. Andrea di Giusto. The Crucifixion. 

An impressive work by this little-known Florentine artist, 
who flourished in the first half of the fifteenth century. 



MUSEUMS 

A RCH^EOLOGICAL MUSEUM (Museo Archeo- 
^"^ logico and Galleria degli Arazzi). 

This museum stands in the Via della Colonna, to the 
south-east of the Piazza Annunziata, from which it is 
distant only three minutes' walk. The large building, 
formerly known as the Palace of the Crocetta and used 
as a guest-house by the Tuscan Grand-Dukes, at present 
houses three separate collections ; viz. the Etruscan 
Museum, the Egyptian Museum, and a fine Collection of 
Tapestries [Arazzi), the last named of ^hich it is intended 
to transfer ere long to a more sirrtable place (entrance 
fee, i fr.). 

The Garden, which is entered from the rooms on the 
left, will prove perhaps the chief attraction to the visitor 
who is pressed for time. Here are various Etruscan 
tombs containing their original statues and ornamenta- 
tion, excavated within Tuscany and removed hither intact 
to this spot. Specially trained and selected custodians 
with proper knowledge will conduct the visitor over these 
remarkable tombs, which are well worthy of inspection. 
The lengthy suite of rooms on the ground floor is filled 
with a valuable collection of cinerary urns, vases, jewellery, 
utensils, harness, and other domestic objects brought from 
the sites excavated in recent years, chiefly at Vetuionia, 
near Grosseto. All the objects shown bear descriptive 
labels, and the attendants are always ready to explain 
these important relics of the ancient and mysterious civil- 
ization of Etruria. 

On the first floor to the left is preserved the extensive 
236 



ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM 



237 




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238 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Egyptian Museum, whilst the rooms and corridors to 
the right of the staircase contain some marvellous Etrus- 
can bronzes, vases, etc., an inspection of which will cer- 
tainly prove of the deepest interest. Rooms X and XI 
contain the principal bronzes, the inner chamber (Sala 
XI) possessing a small but very fine collection of bronze 
statues and figures. In the centre of the room is the 
Chimaera, the mythical monster with the head of a goat, 
the body of a leopard, and the tail of a serpent, which 
was slain by Bellerophon. This most important and 
celebrated early bronze, dating from the fifth century B.C., 
was discovered near Arezzo in 1554 and became the 
private property of the Grand-Duke Cosimo I, at whose 
command the broken figure was restored by Cellini and 
its present tail added. To the right of entrance is a fine 
Minerva , probably of the fourth century B.C., also found 
at Arezzo in 1554; and a small Bacchus with a Genius. 
To the left of door, a bronze Mask. In the furthest 
corner of the room is the well-known Statue of an Orator 
of a singular majesty, dredged up from Lake Trasimene 
in 1566. 

On the same floor, at the end of a long corridor filled 
with cases of terra-cotta vases and plates, are two more 
small rooms (Sala XVI), containing Greek and Roman 
statues and statuettes of bronze, many of which were 
originally collected and restored by Cosimo I. In the 
first room, to the right, on a pillar, an Infant Hercules 
strangling two snakes. Near left wall, a Hercules in Re- 
pose. In centre of room, curious bronze Candelabrum in 
the form of a branching tree. 

Inner Room. — In the centre, the so-called Idolino, a 
famous statue of a youth discovered at Pesaro in 1530, 
and added to the Grand-Ducal treasures in Florence 
through the marriage of Vittoria della Rovere of Urbino 
with Ferdinand II. It is a fine specimen of Greek art 
and stands on an elaborate Renaissance pedestal, bear- 
ing the following hexameter composed by the learned 
(but in this case mistaken) Cardinal Pietro Bembo : — 



ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM 239 

u Ut potui hue veni Delphis et fratre relicto " ; 
for it is now no longer denominated a Bacchus, but is 
believed to represent an athlete, or possibly Mercury. In 
the far corner of the room is a fine bronze Head of a 
Horse. 

On the second floor of the museum is preserved the 
large and extremely interesting collection of tapestries, 
both of Florentine and foreign manufacture (Galleria 
degli Arazzi). Those exhibited here represent only a 
fraction of the vast stores of such fabrics still contained 
in the Pitti, Uffizi, and Riccardi Palaces. The collection 
fills sixteen rooms of various sizes, and contains fine 
specimens of the Grand-Ducal factory which was es- 
tablished in Florence under Cosimo I, who engaged the 
Flemish artists Karcher and Van der Roost to teach this 
art to the Florentines. After a prosperous existence 
of nearly two centuries, the famous Florentine establish- 
ment was closed after the death of the last Medicean 
Grand-Duke, Gian-Gastone, in 1737. By a curious 
coincidence the last piece of tapestry woven in the 
Florentine looms depicted the Fall of Phaethon, finished 
shortly before the death of Gian-Gastone and the con- 
sequent extinction of the House of Medici (Room VII). 
It was this factory that produced the numberless portieres 
or door curtains, scattered throughout the Florentine 
palaces, which display the Medicean coat-of-arms with 
its sixpalle and the Grand-Ducal crown. All these sets 
of tapestry, whether Florentine, French, or Flemish in 
origin, are of great beauty and value. Amongst the 
most interesting from a historical point of view are those 
Flemish pieces in Room VIII, which depict scenes in 
the life of Catherine de Medicis, Queen of France, and 
afford portraits of Henry II, Queen Catherine, and various 
members of the French Court. The most beautiful of 
the many Gobelins are perhaps the scenes of children 
acting as gardeners. Artists may frequently be observed 
in this gallery painting the designs of these fine textile 
works on to coarse canvas, producing thereby a species 



240 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

of imitation tapestry, which is somewhat popular in Italy. 
The rooms to the left of the entrance of the Galleria 
degli Arazzi contain a small collection of vestments and 
fine brocades^ chiefly of the seventeenth and eighteenth 
centuries. 

Bargello {Museo Nazionale). — The National Museum, 
commonly spoken of as "the Bargello/' is housed in the 
splendid old palace of the Podesta of Florence in the 
Via del Proconsolo at the angle of the Via Ghibellina. 
This building, which after the Palazzo Vecchio ranks as 
the most important of the various civic buildings of the 
Florentine Republic, was begun in 1250 on the site of 
a former palace of the Boscoli, whose ancient tower is 
incorporated with the palace itself, and it was originally 
intended to be the residence of the Capitano del Popolo. 
In 1266 it became the official residence of the Podesta, 
or chief magistrate, and in the succeeding century it 
was largely strengthened and extended. The magistracy 
being abolished in 1502, the palace became the head- 
quarters of the Consiglio della Ruota until 1574, when 
it was converted under the Medicean Grand- Dukes into 
a state prison under the rule of the Bargello^ or chief 
police official of Florence, a circumstance which has 
given the building its present name in common use. 
The grand old palace ceased to be a gaol under the good 
Leopold I, who had the execution block and the in- 
struments of torture publicly burned in 1782. In 1857 
a movement was set on foot for the restoration of the 
building to its pristine form ; and in 1865 the palace, cleared 
of its prison cells and stripped of other anachronisms, 
was converted into the Museo Nazionale. 

The Bargello, of which the best view is to be obtained 
from the neighbouring Piazza San Firenze, is a massive 
rectangular structure with a heavy battlemented and 
machicolated cornice, and with the tower of the Boscoli 
attached to its north-west angle. In the tall arcaded 
belfry of the plain massive tower can be distinctly seen 
from below the famous bell known as La Montanina* 











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THE BARGELLO 




THE BAKGE1.LO 



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The bargello 241 

which was carried to Florence from the castle of Montale 
in 1302 and was placed in this tower with the inscription 
above it of Air onore di Dio e della Patria. Upon the 
side of this tower facing the Via Ghibellina used in olden 
times to be painted portraits of those enemies of the state 
who had escaped the executioner's hands, and amongst 
the many personages thus held up to public execration 
was Walter de Brienne, Duke of Athens. The artist 
Andrea del Castagno was even nicknamed Andrea " degli 
Impiccati " for having painted thus the enemies of 
Cosimo il Vecchio hanging in chains. The severe 
building is lighted by numerous elegant Gothic windows 
with marble pillars and tracery, and the whole structure 
gives a most marvellous impression of immense strength 
(entrance fee, i fr.). 

Entering by the doorway facing the Badia in the 
Via del Proconsolo, the visitor finds on the ground floor 
two gloomy vaulted chambers with a large collection of 
armour, banners, saddles, and artillery, including a mon- 
ster bronze cannon cast in 1638. Hence is reached the 
courtyard, the best mediaeval palace interior in Florence, 
and so beautiful in form and decoration that many persons 
will probably prefer it to any other of the famous sights of 
Florence. This courtyard is square and surrounded on 
three sides by Gothic arcades, whilst on the fourth a 
steep picturesque stairway leads to a three-arched loggia 
on the first storey. The massy stone walls are covered 
with innumerable shields of former Podesta, forming a 
perfect epitome in ornamental heraldry of the history of 
the palace during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. 
On the walls under the arcades below are the insignia 
in colours of the different quarters of the city, and the 
colonnades themselves are filled w r ith a number of pieces 
of statuary, among which may be noticed several works 
by Baccio Bandinelli, Tribolo, Gian-Bologna, Vincenzo 
Danti, and other Tuscan sculptors, as well as two figures 
by Michelangelo — a Dying Adonis with the fatal boar, 
and a Victory, a veteran vanquished by a youth, which 
16 



242 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

last was perhaps intended to form one of the many 
adornments for the projected tomb of Pope Julius II for 
which the great master laboured so long and so earnestly. 
Among the other statues that of Architecture by Gian- 
Bologna, with a handsome marble base and Medicean 
emblems by Tribolo, should be noticed. A lamp bracket 
of the seventeenth century by Giulio Serafini is a marvel- 
lous example of elaborately wrought iron-work. 

In proceeding through the various halls of the museum 
from this point, it may be remarked that all objects bear 
labels with the subject represented and the name of the 
master to whom it has been attributed (at least for the 
time being, for the learned authorities are constantly 
changing names both of artist and subject). 

Before the doorway leading to the first hall are two stone 
lions with gilded crowns, that formerly stood guard at the 
portals of the Podesta's palace, the crowns being placed 
on their heads on festivals. The first room contains a 
miscellaneous collection of sculptured tombs, Gothic 
tracery, statues, and other objects, with architectural frag- 
ments taken from various convents and destroyed build- 
ings, representing almost every phase of Tuscan art in 
stone from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries. 
The second hall, opening out from this, possesses some 
of the finest works of the Tuscan sculptors, and almost 
every object preserved in this room is worthy of close 
attention. Opposite the entrance is the extremely 
beautiful Chimney-piece (No. 112) from the Roselli del 
Turco Palace, one of the masterpieces of Benedetto da 
Rovezzano, which has even given the name of "Del 
Camino " to the whole room. By the same master are 
also the two elaborate marble niches with their masses 
of ornamentation from the Palazzo Cepparelli, which . 
are fixed on either side of the entrance. Benedetto da 
Rovezzano, too, executed the series of five Reliefs (Nos. 
101-105), illustrating the history of San Giovanni Gual- 
berto, which were intended for the tomb of the founder 
of the Vallombrosan Order. Although terribly mutilated 




ST. GEORGE 
From the marble statue by Dana telle in the Museo Nazionale 

/• 243 



J> 



MUSEO NAZIONALE 243 

by the Spanish soldiery in 1530, these little scenes in 
marble are most remarkable for their exquisite finish and 
numerous figures. The hall contains some important 
works by Michelangelo. Near the mantle-shelf is his 
Bust of Brutus (No. in), an unfinished but popular 
work of the master. The following works by Michel- 
angelo are also in this room: (No. 124), Mask of a 
Faun, executed at the age of fifteen, when the young 
sculptor was studying from the antique in the historic 
gardens of the great Lorenzo dei Medici at San Marco ; 
(No. 128), The Drunken Bacchus, likewise a youthful 
work full of lively grace, undertaken for Jacopo Galli at 
Rome between the years 1496 and 1501 ; (No. 224), an 
unfinished David ; (No. 123), the unfinished tondo of the 
Virgin and Child with the Baptist in hig"h-relief, of great 
sweetness and power, also an early work. Near this last 
is a small copy in marble of the celebrated Moses (No. 
122), intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome. 
Side by side with Michelangelo's Brutus is the excellent 
Bust of the Grand- Duke Cosimo dei Medici (No. 113), 
one of the comparatively few favourable examples of 
Haccio Bandinelli's art. The remaining statues are all 
well worth close inspection, though their interest pales 
somewhat beside those already mentioned by the un- 
rivalled hand of Michelangelo. 

Leaving the courtyard by the exterior open stairway,. 
we ascend to the broad three-arched loggia, the design 
of which has been attributed to Orcagna and which owns 
the local name of M Verone ''. It contains seven fine bells, 
the oldest dating from 1 184, but its chief interest is to be 
found in the splendid view of the courtyard itself, its 
octagonal well, the Gothic windows, and the masses of 
ornamental heraldry on the ancient stone walls. From 
this loggia a doorway to the right leads to the Great Hall 
(Sala Grande), now usually named " Sala di Donatello," 
from the circumstance that several original statues, as well 
as numerous casts of the Florentine sculptor's works, have 
been collected together in this noble chamber. In the 



244 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

sixteenth century this lofty hall, which had long served as 
a meeting-place for the General Council,, was divided up 
by the Medici into thirty-two cells arranged in four storeys 
for the detention of prisoners of State, but the sweeping 
alterations of the past century have restored the hall to 
its former appearance. Near the entrance is the original 
of the " Marzocco," the couched lion with the giglio that 
is the heraldic emblem of Florence, the derivation of 
whose curious name still remains a mystery. The numer- 
ous Casts throughout the room, each with an explanatory 
label, ought to prove of service to students of Donatello's 
art. 

In the midst towers aloft a good cast of the colossal 
Statue of Gattamelata, the original of which adorns the 
piazza before the great church of Sant' Antonio at Padua. 
Behind this are a number of original works by the master, 
including Love (?) treading on a serpent ; and the graceful 
David, wearing a hat and gazing at the head of Goliath 
at his feet. Beyond these is a statue of the Baptist, one 
of Donatello's earliest works ; and on the wall near the 
door to the left is the low-relief of the Infant S. John 
(" San Giovannino "), a favourite work that is very fre- 
quently copied. In the Gothic canopy set in the wall 
itself is the celebrated S. George, which formerly adorned 
the exterior of Or San Michele, and is commonly accounted 
Donatello's noblest masterpiece, portraying, as it does so 
admirably, the sculptor's ideal saint and knight-errant 
of the age of chivalry. Most life-like yet undoubtedly 
repellent is the coloured terra-cotta Bust of Niccolb da 
Uzzano, the humanist, also a favourite subject for modern 
reproduction. Beside this is the Bust of a Young Warrior 
in bronze. 

From the Sala Grande one passes into two gloomy 
chambers fitted with antique coffers, chairs, and tapestry. 
The next room, a splendid apartment retaining its huge 
mediaeval chimney-piece and \ decorated with the armorial 
bearings of the detested Walter de Brienne, Duke of 
Athens, is one of the finest interiors in Florence. It 



'■'■■.. : 



X 









PORTRAIT OF DANTE BY GIOTTO IN THE BARGELLO AT FLORENCE 
From a drawing by Seymour Kirkttp 

A 2U 



MUSEO NAZIONALE 245 

goes equally by the names of Sala del Podesta, as having 
been the chief magistrate's hall of justice, and also of the 
Sala del Duca d'Atene, on account of its connexion with 
the brief rule of that tyrant, whose coat-of-arms — Azure 
billette argent, a lion rampant or — is so constantly repeated 
in its scheme of decoration. Like the Grand Hall, this 
chamber was also converted into cells under the later 
Medici, and in one of its dark closets was imprisoned in 
chains for thirty-three years a certain notorious brigand 
known as Fra Paolo, an ex-friar who finally died here in 
captivity in 1676. The room contains the valuable Car- 
ra?id Bequest \ the collection bequeathed to the city by the 
antiquary Louis Carrand of Lyons, whose portrait-bust 
stands on a pedestal in the middle of the hall. The glass 
cases ranged down the centre of the room are filled with 
innumerable small bronzes, ivories, enamels, specimens of 
antique jewellery, and other objets d'art of extreme in- 
terest to the connoisseur. On the walls are armour, textile 
fabrics, Oriental faience, and a small collection of early 
paintings, chiefly of the Flemish and Italian schools. At 
the farther end of the room, below a coloured medallion 
of a Podesta adoring the Madonna and Child, is the portal 
of the Chapel, a small but lofty chamber containing some 
stalls and a lectern of good intarsia work and a collec- 
tion of choral books. The walls are covered with the 
remains of frescoes by Giotto (?), which were relieved of 
their whitewash in 1840 at the expense of some private 
persons. The faded fresco over the altar representing 
Paradise, contains the much discussed portrait of Dante 
in his youth, wearing the crimson hood or lucco, which 
is the best-known and on the whole the best-authenti- 
cated likeness of the poet. The fresco was ruthlessly 
restored in 1850, when the poet's face was actually re- 
painted. Fortunately, a sketch made by an English 
artist, Mr. Kirkup, in 1840 (hanging in a frame below the 
fresco), still exists to show the vast difference between the 
portrait as first revealed to the light in 1840 and as seen 
to-day. The second figure on Dante's right hand is said 



246 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

to be that of Brunetto Latini, the poet's instructor. The 
coloured Death-Mask of the poet, preserved here, is of 
very doubtful authenticity. On either side of the altar 
are two frescoes, dated 1490, representing S. Jerome by 
an unknown master and the Madonna by Bastiano Main- 
ardi. On the other walls are painted the stories of S. 
Mary Magdalen (to whom this chapel is dedicated) and 
of S. Mary of Egypt, but the frescoes are either almost 
obliterated or else have been re-painted. In the small 
adjoining sacristy are to be seen some fine old vestments. 

In the Sala del Podesta, to the left of the fire-place, 
is the entrance to another good-sized hall filled with an 
additional collection of ivories, inlaid weapons, amber, 
carvings, church plate, and other precious objects, which 
are calculated to fill the beholder with amazement at 
the extraordinary profusion of the art treasures of the 
Bargello. 

From this hall we pass into the two Rooms of the 
Bronzes, which are to the art of the Italian Renaissance 
what the two halls of bronzes at the Naples Museum are 
to the art of antiquity. In the centre of the first room 
is the David of Andrea Verrocchio (No. 22), which though 
inferior to Donatello's David in the Sala Grande, recalls 
more faithfully the main idea of the Scriptural story of 
the shepherd-lad, who through Divine assistance was able 
to achieve what was, humanly speaking, impossible for a 
tender boy. On the wall to the left are the two specimen 
reliefs in gilt bronze of the Sacrifice of Abraham (Nos. 
12 and 13), executed in rivalry by Lorenzo Ghiberti and 1 
Filippo Brunelleschi for the members of the commission 
charged with selecting the best artist in Florence to 
undertake the new bronze doors for the Baptistery. 
Comparison between these two masterpieces in this case 
becomes especially interesting, and though both reliefs 
are of surpassing beauty and finish, it becomes easy to 
understand the ultimate award of the judges in favour of 
Ghiberti. By Ghiberti is also the exquisite Reliquary of 
SS. Protus and Hyacinthus (No. 21) near the entrance, 





DAVID BY DOXATELLO 



MERCURY. BY GIOVAN BOLOGNA 
p. 243 p. 246 

Museo Xazionale 




SILVER ALTAR OF THE DUO.MO 
Opera del Daomo 



MUSEO NAZIONALE 247 

completed in 1428. Amongst numerous other works of 
importance in this room mention may be made of the 
Frieze of Silenus with Children, placed between the two 
reliefs of Ghiberti and Brunelleschi ; a Roman battle-scene 
by Bertoldo (No. 19), and the so-called Bust of Contessina 
dei Bardi, wife of Cosimo dei Medici, formerly attributed 
to Donatello (No. 25). The glass cupboards in this and 
the next room contain a number of statuettes by various 
artists of the Renaissance, together with a few genuine 
specimens from the antique. 

The second room, containing chiefly works of the later 
masters, such as Gian-Bologna, Tacca, Danti, Cellini, etc. 
has in its midst the graceful figure of the Flying Mercury 
by Gian-Bologna (No. 82), one of the latest but also one 
of the most admired statues of the, Italian Renaissance. 
It was executed in 1598 for Ferdinand I, who intended 
it to adorn the gardens of the Villa Medici in Rome. 
Against the left wall is the ornate and highly finished 
but most unpleasing Bust of Cosimo I (No. 39) by 
Benvenuto Cellini, executed in 1546, whilst on either 
side are the two models (Nos. 38 and 40), one in bronze 
and one in wax, for that artist's masterpiece, the Perseus. 
The Relief of Perseus and Andromeda beside it (No. 42) 
is the original plaque removed hither from the base of 
the statue in the Loggia dei Lanzi. In addition to various 
busts and human figures, there are a number of bronzes 
of animals, including a Turkey -cock by Tacca (No. 79), 
who is said to have gained his nickname from this work. 
The handsome Candelabra, close copies of the antique, 
and the fine Door-knockers by Jacopo Sansovino are 
worthy of notice. 

A staircase leads from the first floor to the second, 
not far from the entrance to the first room of the bronzes. 
The first hall on this floor contains a few fresco frag- 
ments of the Florentine school, many cases of medals 
and seals, and a number of glazed terra-cotta reliefs by 
Luca, Andrea, and Giovanni Delia Robbia. Ranged 
along bare walls in meaningless rows and also in most 



248 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

cases placed far too near to the beholder, these specimens 
of a most characteristic and beautiful Tuscan art seem to 
lose more than half their real charm thus divorced from 
their proper setting and surroundings. Nevertheless, the 
story of the development, perfection, and decadence of 
the art of the Delia Robbias can be easily traced here 
from a study of these museum-pieces in the Bargello. 
It will be observed that the earlier and more charming 
works contain invariably only white figures on a pale 
blue ground, whilst the introduction of numerous colours 
and the addition of heavy wreaths into the designs serve 
to mark the decay of the art. The collection of the 
Delia Robbias is continued into the second hall, in 
the middle of which are a number of glass cabinets filled 
with a most precious and interesting collection of old 
Italian faience. Some of the designs on the Urbino ware, 
with their numberless figures of pagan divinities and their 
classical myths, are exceedingly fine, many of them being 
chosen from pictures by Raphael. Besides the gorgeous 
products of Urbino, there are good examples of the 
factories of Caffagiolo, Pesaro, Gubbio, Faenza, etc., and 
also, besides the Italian majolica, there are some pieces 
of Hispano-Mauresque lustre-ware. The second hall 
leads into the sombre Tower Chamber, which has some 
hangings and pieces of furniture of the sixteenth and 
seventeenth centuries. In an adjoining cabinet to the 
right is a large glass case divided into three compartments, 
which are filled with scenes in coloured wax by Zumbo 
(seventeenth century), illustrating the Consequences of the 
Plague. Nothing can be more exquisite than the model- 
ling of this work, and nothing could be conceivably more 
gruesome than the subject chosen ; nor does the artist's 
treatment of his theme leave any possible horror to the 
imagination of the spectator. In one of the scenes is 
introduced the artist's portrait amidst all the terrors of 
the charnel-house. 

To the left of the entrance of the first hall, already de- 
scribed, are the two Rooms of the Renaissance Marbles, 



MUSEO NAZIONALE 249 

corresponding in size with those of the bronzes on the 
first floor. They contain a fine collection of specimens 
of Tuscan sculpture, including several portrait busts of 
extreme historical interest, although some of the names 
placed below them are doubtful. (For example, the 
once- celebrated and popular Bust of Niccolb Machiavelli 
near the door is now labelled by the authorities as that 
of an unknown man by an unknown artist !) With this 
preliminary caution, however, the visitor will find "an 
extraordinary amount of interest in these rooms, notably 
in the many works preserved here by Mino da Fiesole 
and Andrea Verrocchio. Where nearly everything is 
worthy of note, the following are specially important : — 

Room I. — In the centre on pedestals, Bust of Piero 
di Lorenzo dei Medici (Piero II), by Andrea Verrocchio, 
and Bust of a Young Warrior, unnamed at present, by 
Antonio del Pollajuolo. Against the walls (No. 147), 
Bust of Francesco Sassetti, by Antonio Rossellino, and 
(No. 160) Bust of Matteo Palmieri. (No. 153) Bust of 
Pietro Mellini, by Benedetto da Majano. In a glass case 
in centre of the further wall a beautiful Madonna and 
Child, by Andrea Sansovino. Near doorway to next 
room, coloured terra-cotta Bust of Monna Tessa, the 
pious servant of Folco Portinari and a benefactress to the 
foundation of the Hospital of S. M. Nuova. 

Room II. — In the centre on pedestals a Bacchus, by 
Jacopo Sansovino, and a Ganymede, by Benvenuto Cellini. 
(No. 81) Bust of a Lady Unknown, by Andrea Verrocchio. 
(No. 179) San Giovannino, by Antonio Rossellino, middle 
of left wall. (No. 190) Tondo of Virgin and Child, end 
wall. (No. 146) Death of Francesca Pitti, wife of 
Giovanni Tornabuoni, who later commissioned Domenico 
Ghirlandajo to paint the apse of S. M. Novella — a fine 
and interesting work in high-relief by Andrea Verrocchio. 
(No. 210) Bust of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, by Francesco 
da Sangallo. To the right of entrance, a group of works 
by Mino da Fiesole of exceptional interest, including 
Busts of (No. 234) Piero dei Medici, " II Gottoso " ; (No. 



250 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

235) Rinaldo della Luna ; (No. 236) Giovanni di Cosimo 
dei Medici, brother of Piero " II Gottoso " ; and (No. 232) 
Virgin and Child. 

Both rooms contain a most precious and unique col- 
lection that requires to be examined with the greatest 
care and attention. 

From Room I a step leads to a third room, a lofty 
chamber hung with Florentine tapestry and containing a 
valuable and varied collection of coins in gold, silver, and 
bronze, chronologically arranged from the twelfth century 
to the nineteenth, and including fine specimens of the art 
of engraving from the hands of Benvenuto Cellini and 
other masters. 

Casa di Dante, the so-called House of Dante (open 
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, n a.m. to 3 p.m.). 
A small thirteenth- century house situated in the Piazza 
San Martino, at the back of the church of the Badia and 
called on very doubtful authority the poet's birthplace, 
as the inscription over its doorway — Quinacque il Divino 
Poeta — calmly assumes. The interior (fee of 25 c.) con- 
tains a small and unimportant collection of objects and 
books indirectly connected with the poet. 

Opposite the house is a mediaeval tower, and close 
by is the tiny Church of San Martino, wherein, according 
to the tradition, Dante married Gemma Donati. The 
church itself, of ancient origin, contains some frescoes, 
attributed to Filippino Lippi, representing scenes from 
the life of S. Martin and the Seven Works of Mercy. 

Museo Buonarroti, or House of Michelangelo Buon- 
arroti, is at No. 64 Via Ghibellina, about .ten minutes' 
walk eastward from the Bargello. The house itself was 
bought by the great Michelangelo for his nephew Leon- 
ardo, was decorated in 16.20 by Pietro da Cortona, and 
was finally bequeathed with all its valuable contents by 
the last descendant of the family, Cosimo Buonarroti, to 
the Municipality of Florence (which admits strangers to 
visit it at 1 fr. a head). There is comparatively little of 
interest to see, except some drawings and original sketches 



MUSEUMS 251 

by the master, a few good pictures, and some personal 
relics of Michelangelo himself. Of the many pictures 
preserved here, collected by the Buonarroti family, the 
best is perhaps a Death of Lucretia by Pordenone, but 
formerly attributed to Giorgione. In Room VI is an 
interesting wax statuette of the celebrated David. 

The same building now houses the Museo del Risorgi- 
mento, and the extensive Topographical Museum, opened 
in May, 1 909, and consisting of a great number of prints, 
pictures, sketches, plans, and illustrations of Old Florence, 
its inhabitants, and its former customs. To the student 
of past Florentine history this museum will prove of 
great interest. 

Museo del Centro. See Church and Convent of San 
Marco. 

Museo di San Marco. See Church and Convent of. 

Museum of Natural Sciences {Museo di Fisica e 
Storia JVaturale). 

This museum is in Via Romana, about three minutes' 
walk beyond the Pitti Palace. It was founded by Leo- 
pold I, and contains a large collection of anatomical 
specimens in wax, the usual cases of stuffed beasts and 
birds and other objects connected with natural science. 
The building also contains on the first floor the Tribune 
of Galileo, with a statue of the great scientist and an 
interesting collection of instruments formerly belonging 
to him. There are also some relics of that curious 
British exile, Robert Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. 

Opera del Duomo. See // Duomo. 

Stibbert Museum, housed in the Villa Stibbert, at 
Montughi, about a mile and a half beyond the Porta 
San Gallo. Open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 
for a fee of 1 fr., and on Sunday mornings free. This 
collection, consisting chiefly of mediaeval armour and of 
costumes, was formed by the late Chevalier Stibbert, an 
English subject residing in Florence, who on his death 
in 1906 bequeathed his valuable collection to the city. 
The Museo Stibbert was formally opened in May, 1909. 



PALACES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS 

PIAZZA and Palazzo della Signoria. The famous 
square around which most of the history of Flor- 
ence, both ancient and modern, has revolved, is a large 
rectangular space, one-fourth of which is occupied by the 
vast encroaching bulk of the Palazzo Vecchio^ or Delia 
Signoria^ itself, from which the piazza obtains its name. 
It is one of the most beautiful and interesting centres of 
civic life in the world, and it contains, besides the huge 
frowning palace, many buildings and objects of artistic 
or historical value. Originally named Piazza dei Priori, 
it was later re-christened Della Signoria, whilst under the 
rule of the Grand-Dukes of Tuscany the square became 
known until 1859 as the Piazza del Gran-Duca, since 
which date it has been re-named by its ancient title. 

Prominent on its southern side is the tall and elegant 
form of the Loggia dei Lanzi, or Loggia of Orcagna, as 
it is still popularly but erroneously called, although the 
building was only begun in the year 1376, eight years 
after Orcagna's death. The Loggia dei Lanzi (which 
owes this name to the Swiss lanzi ox landsknechts of the 
Medicean Grand-Dukes, who were quartered here) con- 
sists of an arcade of four arches raised on a platform 
of five steps, and was built for the convenience of the 
Priori of the great palace close by. In style it is tran- 
sitional between Gothic and Renaissance architecture. 
From this roomy and lofty Loggia the decrees of the 
Government were read aloud to the Florentine people 
assembled in the piazza below, whilst on 7 April, 1498, 
it was chosen for the scene of Savonarola's ordeal by fire 

252 



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a 

m ._ 

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• i 






LOGGIA DEI LANZI 253 

(cimento difuoco) with its unedifying circumstances and 
negative results. The Loggia therefore may be truly de- 
scribed as forming an integral part of the great civic palace 
itself, although it stands detached from it. Above the 
broad arches are to be seen some medallions of singular 
grace (completed between 1383 and 1387 by Giovanni 
d'Ambrogio and Jacopo di Piero), which represent the 
Theological and Cardinal Virtues. The roof with its or- 
nate arcading and parapet supports a broad platform, which 
can be entered from the corridor of the Uffizi Picture 
Gallery. It possesses a fine view of the piazza and of 
all Florence, and in former days was occasionally used by 
the Grand- Ducal family and Court when pageants were 
being held in the square below. The entrance through 
the broad middle arch of the Loggia is flanked by two 
marble lions rolling Medicean palle, the lion on the right 
being antique and that on the left a copy of the seven- 
teenth century. The interior of the building with its 
lofty groined stone ceiling has been gradually converted 
into a veritable museum of choice sculpture, which being 
ever visible to the eyes of the passers-by must have of 
necessity some beneficial influence on popular taste. It 
is to the Medici, as usual, that Florence owes most of 
the works of art collected here, for several were brought 
hither in the eighteenth century from the Villa Medici in 
Rome, notably the six beautiful draped statues of females 
ranged along the wall. Of these the finest is undoubtedly 
that of Ger mania Devicta — Conquered Germany — who in 
shame and sadness veils her features from the onlooker. 
Overhanging the piazza to the right is the celebrated 
Rape of the Sabines by Gian-Bologna (1583), one of the 
master's most spirited compositions in marble. The 
form of the handsome young warrior is said to have been 
modelled from the figure of Bartolommeo Ginori, a 
member of the well-known Florentine family, whom the 
artist subsequently rewarded for his service with the gift 
of a fine crucifix. Near this group,- and by no means 
unworthy of its position, is the modern Rape of Polyxena 



254 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

by Fedi (1864). In the centre of the Loggia is an 
antique group, much restored, of Ajax Rescuing the Body 
of Palroclus } and beyond this is another fine work by 
Gian- Bologna, Hercules Slaying the Centaur, which was 
removed hither from the foot of the Ponte Vecchio in 
1838. Beneath the single eastern arch is the diminutive 
group of Judith Slaying Holofernes by Donatello, which 
formerly adorned the palace of Cosimo il Vecchio, but 
was set up in this spot by the Florentine Republic after 
the expulsion of the Medici in 1494 with the warning 
inscription against tyrants : Exemplum Salutis Publicae 
posuere Cives, which the magnanimous Leo X refused to 
have removed and which still remains engraved on the 
statue's ornate circular base. Close to this historically 
interesting work is the famous Perseus of Benvenuto 
Cellini, the story of which has been described in the 
most detailed manner by the sculptor-jeweller in the 
racy pages of his Autobiography. Poised aloft above the 
corpse of Medusa, and proudly displaying her bleeding 
head, Cellini's splendid if somewhat theatrical hero 
seems to dominate the whole Piazza della Signoria. The 
statue stands on a richly sculptured marble fcase with 
four small bronze figures in its niches, below which is a 
square bas-relief in bronze of the Rescue of Andromeda, 
a copy of the original now preserved in the Bargello. 
If not the best in an artistic sense, Cellini's Perseus is 
certainly the most effective of the Florentine statues. 

So stately and so beautiful is the Loggia that it is much 
to be regretted that the Florentines were unable on the 
ground of expense to carry out Michelangelo's grandiose 
scheme of a vast arcade to surround the whole of the 
piazza. 

The western end of the piazza is occupied by a large 
modern building in the Florentine style, which in 187 1 
replaced the historic Tetto dei Pisani, a roofed colonnade 
built by the Pisan prisoners brought in 1364 to Florence, 
where they were treated with every cruelty and insult 
that revenge could suggest. Amongst the picturesque 



PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA 255 

houses on the northern side of the square may be re- 
marked the unfinished Uguccione Palace built in 1550 
after a design attributed to Raphael. At the eastern end, 
separated from the Palazzo Vecchio by the broad Via 
dei Gondi, is the mediaeval building of the Mercanzia, 
adorned with coats-of-arms> which has been recently re- 
stored in admirable taste. The tribunal, which formerly 
lodged in this palace, was elected by the Arti Maggiori 
to act as the supreme court in all cases of bankruptcy, 
loss of merchandise at sea, etc. 

Facing the Mercanzia is the splendid equestrian Statue 
of Cosimo /, which Gian-Bologna erected here by order 
of Cosimo's son, the Grand-Duke Ferdinand I, in 1594. 
It is a magnificent work, and one worthy to serve as a 
memorial of the founder of the Grand-Duchy of Tuscany. 
The three bronze bas-reliefs represent Cosimo's entrance 
into captured Siena, his acceptance of the title of Grand 
Duke of Tuscany, and his investiture with the Grand- 
Ducal insignia by Pope Pius V. Close to the statue is 
the huge Fountain of Neptwie, an immense and elaborate 
work by Bartolommeo Ammanati, whose design was 
preferred to those submitted by Gian-Bologna and Cellini 
in 1571. The colossal statue of Neptune, which was 
formed out of one of the finest and purest blocks of 
Carrara marble ever quarried, stands guard over a bevy 
of marine deities and animals, but the miserable trickle of 
water that flows from this gigantic fountain does not con- 
duce to its beauty. Nevertheless, it serves well to em- 
bellish this magnificent piazza in spite of the inferiority of 
its details. Beyond the Fountain of Neptune all visitors 
to Florence will regard with interest the circular bronze 
plaque adorned with a profile of Girolamo Savonarola set 
between palm branches, which marks the exact site of 
the prior's execution a little beyond the end of the long- 
demolished Ringhiera, or platform that jutted out from 
the facade of the Palazzo Vecchio. For it was here that 
the great Florentine reformer and his two colleagues, 
Fra Domenico and Fra Silvestro, suffered a cruel and 



256 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

ignominious death at the hands of the Florentine Re- 
public on the request of Pope Alexander VI (23 May, 
1498). On the anniversary of this tragedy the bronze 
memorial is invariably heaped with wreaths and with 
bunches of roses or pinks. 

Occupying about one-fourth of the whole area of the 
piazza stands the glorious mass of the Palazzo Vecchio 
itself, the civic palace of Florence and the heart of the 
wonderful Republic that during the Middle Ages and 
the Renaissance truly merited the name of the Modern 
Athens. The huge rugged yet graceful building with its 
lofty overhanging tower is a conspicuous object in every 
part of Florence and its neighbourhood, but the two best 
views of it at close quarters are to be obtained from the 
farther end of the colonnade below the Uffizi Gallery and 
from the Via Vacchereccia, the narrow street that leads 
from the Via Por S. Maria into the square. The facade 
of the palace seen in the evening glow is singularly 
impressive. Begun by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1298 as 
a fortified residence for the Priori and restored by 
Michelozzo in 1434, the palace has ever served as the 
symbol and centre of Florentine civic government, and 
to-day it still contains the official head-quarters of the 
Municipality of Florence. During the sixteenth century 
the building was enlarged by Vasari and other archi- 
tects of the Tuscan Grand-Dukes, who completed the 
back portions of the palace. The exceedingly graceful 
tower with its curious overhanging upper portion is 308 
feet in height, its uppermost storey being added in the 
fifteenth century. The belfry contained the historic 
" Vacca" (the cow), the great bell that used to summon 
the citizens of Florence to attend meetings and discuss 
matters of importance in the piazza. The palace is 
crowned with an elaborate arcaded gallery, below which 
are painted the arms of the city and other armorial 
chargings closely connected with the history of the 
Florentine Republic. These arms, which were re-painted 
in 1840, consist of (1) a white lily on a red ground — Gules, 



PALAZZO VECCHIO 257 

afleur-de-lys argent — the ancient arms of Florence. (2) A 
shield divided into two portions, red and white — Per pale 
gules and argent — signifying the union between Florence 
and Fiesole. (3) A red lily on a white ground — Argent 
fleur-de-lys gules — the arms of Florence, assumed by the 
victorious Guelfs in 1251 and still borne by the city. (4) 
A shield of blue with the word Libertas in gold across it — 
Azure, the word Libertas in bend or — a device used by the 
Priori delle Arti. (5) A red cross on a white ground — 
Argent, a cross gules — the arms of the Florentine people, 
first used in the thirteenth century under Giano. della 
Bella, Gonfaloniere of Justice. (6) Two golden keys on 
a blue ground — Azure, two keys in saltire or — the ponti- 
fical device of Clement IV in 1265, bestowed by that Pope 
as a mark of esteem on the Guelfs who had supported 
Charles of Anjou against King Manfred. (7) An eagle 
trampling on a dragon, above the bird's head a golden 
lily — Argent, an Eagle proper trampling a Dragon, in chief 
a lily or — this heraldic device was also added by Pope 
Clement IV. (8) Golden lilies on a blue field, with a 
label — Azure semee offleurs-de-lys or, in chief the label of 
Anjou — the royal arms of Charles of Anjou, King of 
Naples and suzerain of Florence. (9) A parti- coloured 
shield, on one side similar to that already described and 
on the other red stripes on a gold ground — Per pale, 
Azure, semee of fleurs-de-lys or ; barry of or and gules — 
the arms of Robert of Anjou, King of Naples, nominated 
by the Florentines lord paramount of their city in 13 13. 
The coats-of-arms painted below the machicolations of 
the tower represent the four quarters and the sixteen^ 
Gonfalons of the city. 

Before the western facade stretches a low platform, at 
the northern end of which can still be seen some traces 
of the former Ringhiera or raised platform, which was re- 
moved early in the nineteenth century. To the right of 
the entrance stands Bandinelli's much-abused marble 
group of Hercules and Cacus, which is so fiercely criticized 
by Cellini in his Autobiography. Since the removal of 

17 



2 5 8 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Michelangelo's famous statue of David in the last century, 
its site remained for many years unoccupied, until a 
marble copy of this statue was set up in this place in 
the autumn of 1910. At the end of the Ringhiera 
is a modern copy of the lion called "Marzocco," the 
emblem of Florence, the original having been removed 
hence to the collection of Donatello's works in the 
Bargello. Over the doorway is an interesting reminis- 
cence of the last days of the Florentine Republic in the 
marble ornament consisting of the sacred monogram 
guarded by Florentine lions and surrounded by rays of 
glory, which was erected here during the fatal siege of 
Florence in 1529. Originally, the accompanying legend, 
Rex Regum et Dominus Dominantium, was inscribed Rex 
Populi Florentini — " Jesus Christ is King of Florence " 
— a sentiment which did not apparently meet with the 
approval of the young tyrant Alessandro dei Medici, Duke 
of Florence, who altered the inscription. 

Amolfo's spacious but gloomy courtyard is entered by 
this portal, its sides being supported by immense pillars 
which are square or round alternately. The original 
structure was considerably strengthened by Michelozzo 
in 1434, whilst the present graceful stucco arabesques 
and the faded frescoes on the adjacent walls were added 
by the pupils of Vasari in 1565 on the occasion of the 
marriage of the Grand-Duke Francesco I with the 
Princess Joanna of Austria. In the centre of the court 
is a charming little Fountain of red porphyry surmounted 
by a bronze statue of a laughing child carrying a small 
dolphin, a beautiful work made by Andrea del Verrocchio 
for the gardens of Lorenzo dei Medici at Careggi. From 
the courtyard an archway leads to a large pillared hall 
whence a broad stone staircase ascends (on the left) to 
the principal rooms of the palace. The first floor con- 
tains the vast and resplendent Sala dei Cinquecento, one 
of the largest rooms in existence which are not supported 
by pillars. This immense hall was constructed by 
Cronaca in 1495 at the advice of Savonarola after the 



PALAZZO VECCHIO 259 

expulsion of the three Medici brothers, in order to serve 
as a council chamber, which might even on occasions 
hold as many as 2000 persons. Under the Gonfaloniere 
Soderini, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were 
invited to prepare suitable cartoons for the decoration of its 
large wall spaces. For this purpose the former executed 
a cartoon of the battle of Anghiari, and Michelangelo 
a picture of the battle of Cascina, which introduced his 
well-known and celebrated study of soldiers bathing in 
the Arno. Whatever work by these two great masters 
was actually painted on the walls suffered greatly a few 
years later, when the hall was turned into barracks for the 
Spanish soldiers who accompanied Leo X on his recovery 
of Florence in 1512. Under Cosimo I the ceiling was 
raised, and walls and roof were painted by Vasari and 
his pupils with a series of frescoes commemorating the 
career and victories of Cosimo I. Although often des- 
pised for their artistic inferiority, these works are both 
brilliant and harmonious in their general effect as decora- 
tion of this vast bare chamber, whilst to those who study 
the history of Tuscany they will prove of considerable 
interest. The lower portion of the walls is adorned with 
Florentine tapestry of the sixteenth century and by a 
series of statues representing the labours of Hercules. 
On the raised part of the room are indifferent statues of 
Leo X, of Clement VII crowning the Emperor Charles V, 
of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, and of Duke Alessandro. 
At the farther end of the room has been placed Passaglia's 
highly theatrical statue of Savonarola (1882), who fre- 
quently harangued the Florentines in this hall. Amongst 
the numerous episodes of history that this splendid and 
impressive chamber has witnessed during the four hundred 
years of its existence, we may mention the proclamation 
of Cosimo dei Medici as first Grand-Duke of Tuscany 
in 1569 and the historic sittings of the Italian Parliament 
held here during the few years of the existence of Florence 
as the capital of United Italy. 

At the farther end of the Sala dei Cinquecento a 



2 6o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

doorway leads to the ante-hall of the suite of rooms 
known as the Quartiere di Papa Leone X. 1 The ante- 
room, or Sala di Leone X, contains a number of interesting 
frescoes from the hand of Vasari and his pupils, illustrating 
scenes in the life of the splendour-loving first Medicean 
pope. The large iresco over the fire-place represents 
Leo's creation of thirty-one cardinals in 151 7, a scene 
in which the portraits of Cardinal Bibbiena, Giulio dei 
Medici, Michelangelo, and other members of Leo's court 
are introduced. Opposite to this composition is the same 
Pope's state entry into the Piazza Delia Signoria in the 
winter of 1515, the papal train containing numerous 
portraits. Both these frescoes, though not actually the 
work of a contemporary artist, are of extreme interest to 
students of Italian history in the sixteenth century. 
Besides other frescoes relating to the history of the 
period are busts of Leo X, Clement VII, Cosimo I, and 
Giuliano dei Medici. The adjoining suite of rooms 
consists of the Sala di Clemente VLL, containing some 
interesting historical paintings, notably the military plan 
of Florence during the siege of 1529; the Camera di 
Cosimo 1 ; and the so-called rooms of Cosimo il Vecchio 
and Lorenzo il Magnifico. All of these contain frescoes 
by Vasari and his colleagues of some historical importance 
but of little artistic merit. 

At the top of the staircase, near the entrance to the Sala 
dei Cinquecento, is a beautiful Doorway of bronze gilt 
with twisted marble columns and a triple mask of Christ, 
which has been attributed to Donatello. Beyond this, at 
the foot of the next flight of steps, is the entrance to 
the Hall of the Two Hundred {Sala dei Duecentd), which 
is now the meeting-place of the Florentine Municipal 
Council. It is a handsome apartment with walls covered 
with Florentine tapestry, and with a splendid cassetted 
roof of elaborate carving by Benedetto da Majano. 

The stairway near the entrance to the Sala dei Duecento 

1 A fee of 1 fr, has been fixed upon since the winter of 1909 for 
each visitor. 



PALAZZO VECCHIO 261 

leads to the second floor of the palace, which contains 
the large suite of rooms formerly occupied by the Priori, 
and later by Cosimo I and his wife, the Grand-Duchess 
Eleonora of Toledo. The first room is the lofty Sala 
dei Gigli, so called from the golden fleurs-de-lys in the 
decoration of the walls. The coffered ceiling with its 
frieze of lions and its gilded ornamentation is very hand- 
some. The room contains some frescoes by Domenico 
Ghirlandajo representing S. Zenobius Enthroned with his 
attendant pupils, Eugenius and Crescentius, with two 
lions bearing banners of the people and city of Florence, 
and above them six Roman heroes in chiaroscuro. In 
the lunette above are the Madonna and Child. A fine 
and elaborate doorway of white marble with doors of 
intarsia work leads into the adjoining Sala d' Udienza, 
covered with frescoes by Salviati illustrating the story of 
Camillus. Hence is entered the Cappella dei Priori, at 
the altar of which Savonarola received his last Com- 
munion. Beyond the chapel are more rooms, some of 
which contain a few early paintings placed here in recent 
years. Returning to the Sala dei Gigli, we find on its 
further side a large room known as La Guardaroba 
with closed cabinets, all of which are covered with a 
series of curious maps painted by Padre Danti and Padre 
Buonsignori towards the close of the sixteenth century. 

On the first floor are shown the curious windowless 
chamber called the Studiolo di Francesco /, with its ad- 
joining secret Tesoretto, or treasure-closet ; on the second 
floor is the Quartiere degli Elementi, a handsome suite of 
rooms, decorated by Vasari and his pupils, which have 
only been made accessible since the spring of 191 1. 

Palazzo Pitti. — The vast Palazzo Pitti, well situated 
on the steep slope that ascends from the piazza of the same 
name, owes its erection to Luca Pitti, a wealthy merchant 
of the fifteenth century, who in a spirit of boastful rivalry 
commissioned Brunelleschi to build a palace of which the 
very windows were to be as large as the portals of the 
recently erected Palazzo Medici in Via Larga. From 
1 44 1 to 1465 the work continued, and the great mansion 



262 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

was completed so far as the second floor, but in 1465 the 
building operations were suspended for lack of the neces- 
sary funds. In 1549 the descendants of the ambitious 
Luca Pitti were glad to sell their huge but unfinished 
mansion to the Grand-Duchess Eleonora of Toledo, and 
in the following year, 1550, the Grand-Ducal family and 
Court moved from the Palazzo Vecchio to this palace, 
which has ever since ranked as a royal residence. 

Only the portion of the palace around the courtyard 
is the original structure raised by Luca Pitti. The two 
long wings, following the plan of Brunelleschi, were 
added by Ammanati, whilst the projecting porticoes 
and terraces that overhang the piazza were erected in the 
eighteenth century under the Grand-Dukes of the House 
of Lorraine. Even now the huge building is only partially 
finished, for the great bare slope in front of the palace 
was intended to have been laid out in curving approaches 
with terraces and balustrades. The roof ought also to 
have been crowned with a loggia, as in the case of the 
Palazzo Guadagni close by. Of recent years a good 
hall and staircase have been added by Del Moro (1897) 
under the Kings of Italy to serve as entrance to the 
Picture Gallery. The lofty position and the severe 
rustic architecture of this palace make of the Pitti the 
most imposing and the largest, though by no means the 
most beautiful, of the Florentine palaces. The effect 
produced is entirely due to the fine proportions and the 
plain massive style of the structure, which is almost 
wholly without external ornament. 

(The Royal Apartments of the Pitti Palace are shown 
free between noon and 3 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. 
Permits (permessi) are to be obtained at the Maggiordomo's 
office, which is situated beyond the left-hand corridor of 
the great courtyard.) In this same courtyard is a small 
suite of three rooms, of which the first contains some 
vestments and altar furniture, whilst over the entrance is 
hung an interesting early picture of the palace with the 
loggia on its roof which was never erected. The second 



PITTI PALACE 263 

room is devoted to a valuable collection of porcelain 
formerly the property of the Grand-Dukes of Tuscany, 
which includes some fine dinner and coffee sets of old 
Capodimonte, Dresden, Worcester, Ginori, Vienna, Ori- 
ental, and other china. The third room, known as the 
Camera degli Argenti, contains a vast number of works of 
art, plate, reliquaries, and jewellery, including some magni- 
ficent specimens of the elaborate art of Benvenuto Cellini, 
Gian-Bologna, Tacca, Pollajuolo, etc. 

From the courtyard a broad stairway leads to the 
royal apartments, which, though for the most part tasteless 
and dull, contain some objects of interest, such as fine in- 
laid cabinets belonging to the later Medici, silver toilet sets, 
rooms hung with fine brocade and other ornaments usual 
to a palace. But the principal rooms, such as the Throne, 
Banquet, and Ball Rooms, were all re-decorated in the 
dismal style of the years 1865-71, the period that saw 
Florence the capital of Italy and this palace consequently 
the chief official residence of the reigning House of Savoy. 
The chief attraction of these rather dreary rooms is the 
celebrated painting by Botticelli of Pallas Athene and 
the Centaur^ described by Vasari in his life of that painter, 
which is preserved in one of the smaller saloons together 
with a few other pictures of some value. This famous 
composition of the great Florentine master (which after 
having been lost sight of for many years was re-discovered 
in 1894 by Mr. William Spence, an English gentleman 
residing in Florence) undoubtedly represents in an alle- 
gorical form the great moral victory won by Lorenzo 
il Magnifico over the treacherous and violent King 
Ferdinand of Naples in 1480, when the Florentine prince 
risked his life at the Neapolitan court in order to reason 
with Ferdinand against the dangers and misery of a pro- 
jected Italian war. The figure of Pallas, crowned with 
olive and draped in a robe covered with the diamond 
rings that served the Medicean prince for his emblem, is 
shown in the act of subduing a strong but crouching 
centaur, thereby exhibiting the triumph of Medicean 



264 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

virtue and statecraft over brute force and selfish greed. 
The picture is one of the most interesting in Florence, so 
that it is greatly to be regretted it should still be kept in 
so comparatively inaccessible a place. The other pictures 
in this cabinet include a Holy Family formerly attributed 
to Botticelli, a good Madonna by Carlo Dolci, and a 
Female Portrait by Lucas Kranach. 

At the back of the Pitti Palace are the world-renowned 
Boboli Gardens, which are thrown open to the public 
only on Thursdays and Sundays, and then but from 
noon till sunset, although the palace itself is practically 
uninhabited, the Royal Family of Italy having only re- 
sided two days within the Pitti during the last eight years ! 
These formal gardens cover the slope of the hill up to 
the level of the citadel of Fort San Giorgio, whence the 
noon-tide cannon is fired daily. There are two entrances, 
one beneath the arcade to the left of the palace, near 
the entrance to the Picture Gallery, and the other in the 
Via Romana, about ten minutes' walk farther south. 
The gardens consist for the most part of long straight 
alleys of clipped ilex, bay, and laurustinus, interspersed 
with groves of cypresses and open lawns, which in 
springtime are gay with anemones, crocus, buttercups, 
and the purple salvia. The alleys and paths are skilfully 
planned in accordance with the sharp falls and rises of 
the ground on the steep hill-side. They were originally 
laid out by Tribolo under Cosimo I about the year 
1550, Tribolo 's scheme being subsequently extended by 
Buontalenti and Gian-Bologna. Remaining much in its 
original state, the Giardino Boboli affords one of the 
best specimens in existence of the magnificent pleasances 
of the later Italian Renaissance ; whilst the exquisite 
views and vistas to be obtained from every point of these 
gardens render a visit to the Boboli on a fine day one of 
the highest forms of pleasure of which an educated mind 
is capable. 

The Boboli contains a large number of statues, 
fountains, grottos, a belvedere, and some minor gardens 



BOBOLI GARDENS 265 

for the growing of fruit, flowers, and vegetables. The 
principal of the Grottos is that facing the entrance from 
the arcade of the palace. This curious rococo structure, 
formed chiefly of shells and pieces of rock, originally 
contained the four unfinished statues by Michelangelo, 
which were intended to decorate the immense tomb of 
Pope Julius II in Rome. 1 From this grotto near the 
chief entrance, a broad drive leads to the rear of the 
palace, whence there is a well-known and superb view of 
the city with its towers backed by the hi: Is around Fiesole. 
Here a natural hollow in the hill-side has been converted 
into a regular amphitheatre with stone seats, balustrades, 
and vases, where the Grand-Ducal Court used in former 
days to witness masques or dramatic performances. 
Above the amphitheatre is the Basin of Neptune, a circu- 
lar pool full of gold-fish and distinguished by a statue 
of Neptune with his trident. On a higher level and a 
little to the left is the small domed structure known as 
the Belvedere, whence there is to be obtained an extensive 
view of the city and the Val d'Arno (small fee to the 
custodian). Above the Basin of Neptune, to the right 
of the prominent statue of Abundance, and at the highest 
point within the gardens is the little flower-garden called 
Giardi?io del Cavaliere (small fee to attendant), the 
terrace of which commands a fine panorama of the country 
lying south of Florence. From this point the visitor had 
better make his way towards the part of the Boboli that 
extends to the Porta Romana on the south. Here a wide 
avenue known as the Viottolone adorned with statues 
leads downhill to the great fountain of the " Isolotto," 
an elaborate work designed by Gian-Bologna. A few 
minutes' walking beyond this fountain brings the visitor to 
the Scuderie Reali, or royal stabies, which contain some 
of the old state-coaches. This lower part of the Boboli is 
far less known to the average stranger than is the portion 

1 These works were removed in the summer of 1909 to the 
Accademia delle Belle Arti, and their vacant spaces filled with 
modern copies. 



2 66 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

nearer the palace, yet it is fully as beautiful, and the old 
city walls of the fourteenth century form here a most 
picturesque background. Some of the shady alleys 
radiating from the Viottolone have their branches pleached 
overhead, a form of garden architecture which has a 
most pleasing effect. Near the entrance in the Via 
Romana is the great stanzone, or lemon-house, a fine 
building wherein the lemon-trees are protected during 
the sharp Tuscan winters. 

The Palace, as we have said before, has practically 
ceased to be a royal residence since 1871, but a member 
of the Italian reigning House of Savoy usually occupies 
a small suite of rooms in the new wing of the palace, 
which abuts on the gardens. 

Palazzo Riccardi (formerly Medici), now the official 
seat of the Prefect of Florence, stands in the broad Via 
Cavour, which was formerly known from its width as Via 
Larga. The palace is of special interest as having been 
the seat of the senior branch of the Medici, so that its 
walls are closely associated with the magnificence, the 
learning, the patronage of art, and the festivities of 
Cosimo il Vecchio, of his grandson Lorenzo il Magnifico, 
and of his great-grandson Pope Leo X. The present 
palace was erected by Michelozzo for Cosimo il Vecchio 
in 1430, but the original structure was far smaller than 
the huge massive building that now meets the eye in Via 
Cavour, for the Riccardi, to whom the palace was subse- 
quently sold, added largely to the old Medicean mansion, 
although their additions were made in harmony with 
Michelozzo's architecture. From 1430 till the murder 
of Duke Alessandro in 1537 the Medici inhabited this 
palace, with the exception of the intervals of their en- 
forced exile between the years 1494 and 15 12, and again 
between 1527 and 1530. Cosimo I preferred to dwell in 
the Palazzo Vecchio and later in the Palazzo Pitti, but the 
old cradle of the Medicean family was not abandoned 
finally till 1659, when Ferdinando II sold it to the 
Marchese Riccardi. In 1715 the palace was enlarged, 




THE PROCESSION OF THE MA(,I 

l'rom the fresco by henozzo Gozzoli i;i the Chapel of the Palazzo Kit card V 



p. 266 



PALAZZO RICCARDI 267 

and the key, the armorial emblem of the Riccardi family, 
is conspicuous throughout the newer portions of the 
building. The basement is composed of great blocks of 
rough stone, and the windows of the two upper storeys 
have elegant Gothic windows with marble columns, in 
the arches of which are to be seen the usual Medicean 
emblems of the diamond ring and the plumes. The 
fine cornice is also by Michelozzo. The palace is said 
to possess the earliest examples known of the " kneeling 
windows " (inginocchiate), which are popularly believed 
to have been an ingenious invention of Michelangelo, 
for the convenience of persons watching from the case- 
ment. The courtyard is entered by a lofty archway 
facing the Via Cavour, and contains fine medallions with 
reliefs by Donatello, some antique busts, and some early 
sarcophagi, which are said to have been removed from 
the ancient Baptistery hard by. 

A staircase in the right-hand corner of the court leads 
to the famous Chapel of the Medici, now commonly called 
Cappella Riccardi (entrance fee, 50c). This tiny chapel 
on the first floor possesses a beautiful pavement of inlaid 
pieces of antique marbles and some doors and stalls of 
intarsia work, but its great glory consists in the splendid 
Frescoes executed on the walls by Benozzo Gozzoli be- 
tween 1459 and 1463 for Piero "il Gottoso," son and heir 
of Cosimo il Vecchio. Owing to the extreme darkness of 
the chapel these paintings (which according to popular 
tradition the artist was compelled to depict by lamplight 
owing to the absence of a window) are marvellously well 
preserved, so that from an artistic and an historical point 
of view this small oratory of the Medici ranks as one of 
the most important interiors in Italy. The chancel con- 
tains two groups of adoring angels with bright robes and 
peacock-hued wings, who with exquisite tenderness of 
expression regard the altar where formerly was shown a 
picture of the Nativity by Fra Lippo Lippi (now in the 
Gallery of Berlin). The remaining portions of the walls 
are covered by the Procession of the Magi with an immense 



268 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

train of Florentine citizens, servants, and cavaliers. The 
three principal figures of the three kings portray the 
Patriarch of Constantinople on a white palfrey (near 
the modern doorway), Castruccio Castracane, tyrant of 
Lucca, and the Emperor of the East, John Palaeologus, 
in a green and gold robe with an Oriental diadem. A 
host of citizens and youths, most of them wearing the 
lucco or red head-dress of mediaeval Florence, follows in 
procession, many of the figures affording contemporary 
likenesses, including those of Cosimo dei Medici, his son 
Piero, and his grandsons Lorenzo and Giuliano. Amongst 
them may be recognized the portrait of the artist, who 
bears on his hood the inscription Opus Benotii. The 
scenery depicted is that of the Tuscan country-side 
with its walled towns and groves of cypresses ; yet an 
Oriental feature is introduced in the hunting leopards 
which the servants of the Emperor of the East have 
brought with them. It is no exaggeration to say that 
few buildings in Italy can claim greater attention or 
afford more pleasure of the intellect than this tiny chapel 
in the ancient palace of the great family of Medici. It 
was in this chapel also that Giovanni dei Medici, the 
future Leo X, received the tonsure of the scalp, denoting 
his reception into the Church, a circumstance which 
took place when he was but eight years of age. In the 
palace itself was born and lived the great Lorenzo, whose 
three children Piero, Giovanni, and Giuliano were also 
all born under this roof. It was in one of its halls that 
the high-spirited Clarice dei Medici, wife of Filippo 
Strozzi, denounced with withering scorn the two bastards 
of her house, the Cardinal Ippolito and the future Duke 
Alessandro, before these two youths were expelled from 
Florence in 1527 after the capture of Rome from their 
relative, Giulio dei Medici, Pope Clement VII. It was 
also within these walls that on the night of 6 January, 
1537, the tyrant Alessandro, first Duke of Florence, was 
horribly murdered by his distant kinsman, Lorenzino dei 
Medici, in a chamber which was subsequently pulled 



PALACES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS 269 

down. To those who are acquainted with the extra- 
ordinary and fascinating story of the House of Medici, 
this palace will appeal with overpowering interest. 

The main staircase leads upwards to various rooms 
containing tapestry and some statues, the largest of which 
is the fine hall adorned with a ceiling painted in gorgeous 
colours by Luca Giordano with an apotheosis of the later 
Medici, notably of the Cardinal Leopoldo and the Grand- 
Duke Cosimo III, executed in 1683. Its windows look 
towards the church and piazza of San Lorenzo, which is 
so nearly connected with the famous Florentine family. 
At the farther end of the room on an easel is a Madonna 
and Child by Fra Filippo Lippo, a fine work recently dis- 
covered near Florence and placed here. 

Palace of the Uffizi. — This immense building Flor- 
ence owes to the t&ste and bounty of Cosimo I, first 
Grand-Duke of Tuscany, who being anxious to concen- 
trate all the various departments of state beneath one roof, 
commissioned his favourite architect Giorgio Vasari in 
1560 to erect the present building which was finished in 
1574. It is an exceedingly graceful structure with its wide 
colonnades and long lines of windows. At its southern 
end (overhanging the river) is to be seen the statue of 
Cosimo I by Gian-Bologna, supported on either side by 
allegorical figures of Justice and Power. The niches 
of the colonnades were filled in the early part of last 
century with a number of statues of distinguished Floren- 
tines, the work of various masters. This series of statues, 
many of which possess artistic merit, is well worthy of 
inspection, in order to realize the extraordinary number 
of great men — politicians, architects, artists, scientists, 
historians, painters, soldiers, poets — whose lives and 
labours contributed to swell the importance of the 
Florentine state during the period of its existence. The 
extensive building contains the present Post Office 
(adjoining the Loggia dei Lanzi), the vast collection of 
the State Archives, the largest Public Library [Biblioteca 
JVaziona/e), and, in the topmost storey of all, the priceless 



270 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Gallery of Painting and Sculpture, which takes its name 
from this official palace. The Uffizi is connected with 
the upper floors of the Palazzo Vecchio by means of an 
archway thrown over the intervening Via di Ninna, and 
it is also joined to the Pitti Palace by the long arcaded 
gallery which Vasari constructed for Cosimo I in 1564 
for this special purpose. Part of the site of the Uffizi was 
formerly occupied by the Church of San Piero Scheraggio, 
which is frequently mentioned in Florentine annals prior 
to the construction of this palace. 

Besides the great official or royal palaces of the 
Signoria, the Pitti, the Riccardi, and the Uffizi, Florence 
contains an endless number of private palaces, dating 
from the thirteenth century to the present day, many of 
which can aspire to architectural or historical interest. 
These Palazzi are scattered throughout every portion of 
the city, so that it would be difficult to name any street 
which did not contain some dwelling of importance con- 
nected with the history of Florence. Perhaps the Via 
Maggio (a corruption of Via Maggiore), the broad straight 
street beyond the Ponte Santa Trinita, is the best example 
extant of a street almost wholly filled with palaces, 
chiefly of early date ; but the Via Tornabuoni, Via 
Cavour, Borgo degli Albizzi, and indeed several other 
streets can boast an almost equal number of this class 
of residence. Some of these palaces are still inhabited 
by the descendants of their original owners, but in the 
majority of cases the old mansions have been let out in 
private apartments or else have been turned into offices. 
None of the interiors of the Florentine palaces are shown 
to the stranger, with the solitary exception of the Palazzo 
Corsini ; but this deprivation is of small consequence, 
for few, if any of them, now possess works of art of any 
great interest or value. In any case, their architectural 
details are visible from the street, and in many instances 
it is not hard to penetrate into the courtyard, if the 
visitor be so minded, by a little civility or a small 
gratuity to the porter. It is impossible to enumerate 



PALACES 271 

more than a very few of the notable private palaces of 
Florence. 

Palazzo Alberti. — The principal of the various palaces 
of the powerful family of the Alberti is the fine mansion 
at the corner of the Lung' Arno delle Grazie and the 
Via dei Benci, a street that contains many ancient houses 
as well as the picturesque cafe with the columns and 
pent-house roof at the angle of the Borgo Santa Croce, 
known as Le Colonnine. Palazzo Alberti was originally 
erected by that eminent member of his House, Leon- 
Battista Alberti, who himself inhabited it, but has been 
almost wholly rebuilt in modern times. The shield of 
the Alberti, the four chains joined — Azure, four chains 
conjoined in saltire argent — is frequently displayed on this 
palace. 

Palazzo Albizzi. — The chief seat of this Florentine 
family was at No. 1 8 in the ancient street of Borgo degli 
Albizzi, running eastward from the Via del Proconsolo 
to the quaint little Piazza San Piero Maggiore. .The 
coat-of-arms of the Albizzi, two golden circles on a blue 
field — Azure, two concentric circles or — is to be noticed on 
several houses in this gloomy old street. Their principal 
palace has long been called " degli Visacci " (of the ugly 
faces), owing to the grotesque coloured effigies of 
Florentine notabilities with which its facade is adorned. 
At No. 24 in the Borgo degli Albizzi is the old Montalvo 
Palace, built by Ammanati in 1568 for Don Antonio 
Ramirez di Montalvo, a favourite chamberlain of the 
Grand-Duke Cosimo I. 

Palazzo Antinori. — This palace, built towards the close 
of the fifteenth century by Giuliano da Sangallo for the 
Boni family, came into the possession of the Antinori 
about a century later. It stands in the small piazza of 
the same name at the northern end of the Via Tornabuoni 
and almost opposite the rococo facade of the Church of 
San Gaetano, a building of ancient foundation, but after- 
wards bought and rebuilt by the Theatines at the expense 
of Cardinal Carlo dei Medici in the seventeenth century. 



272 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The Antinori coat-of-arms in gold and blue — Chequy, or 
and azure^ a chief or— is conspicuously displayed at the 
corner of the palace, which is a most favourable specimen 
of Renaissance architecture. It is now the head-quarters 
of the Florentina Ars, an association for the sale of the 
modern artistic manufactures of Florence, and strangers 
are invited to visit the showrooms in this palace. 

Palazzo Buondelmonte. — The present palace of this 
name in the small Piazza Santa Trinita was erected by 
Giacone in the sixteenth century and possesses no parti- 
cular feature of interest, but its name recalls that of a 
family very famous in the early days of Florentine history, 
which had its origin in the castle of Montebuoni. 
Early in the twelfth century, when the castle of Monte- 
buoni was annexed to Florentine territory, a branch of 
this feudal family settled in the city. A scion of this 
stock, now risen to eminence in Florence, one Buondel- 
monte del Buondelmonte, " a gracious and comely 
knight," in 12 15 declined to marry a daughter of the 
Amadei family, to whom he had been formerly betrothed, 
and for various reasons allied himself with a maiden of 
the Donati. The Amadei and their friends, bent on 
vengeance for the slight offered to their House, assembled 
in the Church of San Stefano in Via Por Santa Maria and 
there decided on the assassination of the faithless bride- 
groom at the suggestion of Mosca dei Lamberti. The 
young Buondelmonte was accordingly waylaid on his 
return from Mass on Easter Sunday and brutally clubbed 
to death at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio, close to the 
statue of Mars, an antique piece of sculpture to which 
the early Florentines were superstitiously attached. The 
young widow of the murdered Buondelmonte now made 
a progress round the city with her slaughtered husband's 
body in a cart, calling on the citizens to avenge the foul 
deed, with the result that two powerful factions were 
thereby formed in Florence, which ultimately developed 
into .the distinct political parties of the Guelfs and 
Ghibellines. 



PALACES 273 

Palazzo del Capitani della Parte Guelfa^ formerly one 
of the many mansions of the Lamberti, from whom the 
neighbouring Via Lambertesca is named. This fine 
palace (which has recently been restored) is situated in 
the Via delle Terme, which runs parallel with the Borgo 
Santi Apostoli and obtains its nomenclature from the 
ancient Roman baths {Thermae) once existing here. The 
building was erected from a design of Brunelleschi, and 
has a facade with sgraffiti decoration and a handsome 
loggia above. Close beside it is the secularized Church 
of S. Biagio, an ancient structure now utilized as the 
head- quarters of the Florentine firemen (pompier i). All 
this quarter of Florence is full of old-world houses and 
some remnants of mediaeval towers, so that a ramble in 
the quaint dark purlieus of the Via delle Terme and the 
Borgo Santi Apostoli is strongly recommended to all 
lovers of the picturesque. 

Palazzo Cappello. — This house, No. 26 in the Via 
Maggio, is interesting from its connexion with the beauti- 
ful Venetian Bianca Cappello, who resided here for some 
years both as a wife and as a widow before she was raised 
to the position of Grand-Duchess of Tuscany. The 
house is a gloomy-looking place covered with fast- decay- 
ing black and white decoration {sgraffiti) and distin- 
guished by the escutcheon with the heraldic hat of the 
Cappelli over the main portal. It was in the Via del 
Presto behind this house and close to the great Church 
of Santo Spirito, that Bianca's worthless husband, Pietro 
Buonaventura, was murdered in a street brawl, at the 
instigation, some said, of the Grand-Duke Francesco I, 
although the latter had especially placed the Buonaven- 
turas in this fine house near the Pitti Palace, after remov- 
ing them from their former humble abode in the Piazza 
San Marco (No. n). 

Palazzo Capponi. — This immense palace in the rococo 
style of architecture, which stands in the Via Gino Cap- 
poni (formerly Via San Sebastiano), was built by Fontana 
for the Marchese Alessandro Capponi in 1705. It is a 
18 



274 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

handsome building with a fine staircase and a good lib- 
rary, and is still the property of a branch of the celebrated 
family of Capponi, one of the most illustrious names con- 
nected with the history of Florence. The family, whose 
connexion with the city dates from the thirteenth century, 
gave numerous magistrates to the old Florentine Republic, 
and was possessed of great wealth and numerous palazzi 
in various parts of the town, so that their coat-of-arms, 
a shield divided diagonally into two equal parts of black 
and white — -Per bend, argent and sable — is familiar to the 
students of Florentine heraldry in many churches and 
streets, notably in Santo Spirito, where are the principal 
chapels of this House. Of this family, which has pro- 
duced many men of note from the thirteenth century 
almost to the present day, we may mention Neri Capponi, 
who won the battle of Anghiari for the Florentines and 
also annexed the district of the Casentino to the State. 
He died in 1457, but his nephew Piero is almost more 
famous in Florentine annals for his bravery in defying 
Charles VIII of France, when that King was occupying 
the city in 1494 after the expulsion of Piero dei Medici. 
An unfair and dishonourable treaty having been prepared 
by the royal secretary for the magistrates of Florence to 
sign as the price of peace, Piero Capponi boldly advanc- 
ing to the throne tore up the obnoxious document before 
the King's eyes with the historic remark : " Vol darete 
nelle trombe, e not nelle campane — If you sound your 
trumpets, then we shall ring our bells!" Alarmed at 
the earnestness and pluck displayed by Capponi, Charles 
yielded, so that milder terms for the city were suggested. 
Piero's son Niccolo also played a prominent part in the 
tragical last years of the Republic, prior to its extinction 
under Clement VII in 1530. Another celebrated mem- 
ber of this House in modern times was the Marchese Gino 
Capponi, from whom this broad street is named, and 
who on his death in 1876 was buried with a large monu- 
ment in Santa Croce. As a scholar, a high-minded 
patriot, and man of great influence, Gino Capponi was 



PALAZZO CORSINI 275 

one of the leading statesmen who took an important part 
in the unification ot Italy in the middle of the past century. 
Of his literary works, his " History of the Republic of 
Florence " is a well-known and valuable contribution to 
modern Italian literature. 

Palazzo Corsini^ a large seventeenth- century mansion 
by Silvani, surrounds a wide courtyard and contains fine 
suites of rooms and a good gallery of pictures. The 
handsome south front is a conspicuous object on the 
Lung' Arno Corsini, but the main entrance and the 
porter's lodge are situated in the dingy Via Parione 
at the back. The palace is shown to the public on 
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, free of charge, be- 
tween 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The curving staircase is very 
handsome, as are also the great south gallery and the 
ante-chamber. The rooms beyond contain the Picture 
Gallery and also a very valuable collection of antique 
furniture, china, stuffs, tables, and other objects of interest, 
including many relics of Clement XII, the Corsini pope 
whose statue also adorns the grand staircase. In par- 
ticular, the glass case with albs of fine needlework made 
by the ladies of the great papal houses of Corsini and 
Barberini will prove interesting. In short, apart from its 
pictures, the Palazzo Corsini affords a good example of 
a fine Italian palace of the seventeenth century, and 
indeed it is the only private Florentine palace thus thrown 
open to the public. The views from the windows of the 
sunny State apartments are charming. 

The Corsini, whose coat-of-arms consists of a red 
and white striped shield crossed by a bar of blue — 
Paly of six argent and gules, over all a /ess azure — are 
one of the oldest and most distinguished of Florentine 
families, and at the present time the family ranks as the 
first of existing Florentine houses. The Corsini have 
given numerous magistrates in the past to Florence, and 
now hold important court appointments under the House 
of Savoy. 



276 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The Corsini Gallery 

This gallery is the only private collection in Florence 
open to the public. Twelve large rooms on the first 
floor contain a valuable collection of paintings and other 
works of art. The twelve rooms of the museum open 
out of one another. Room I contains no pictures of 
importance, and in Room II we note only landscapes 
by Salvator Rosa, replicas of the pictures in the Uffizi 
and Pitti, and battle-pieces by Courtois and Reschi. 

Only the most important works are mentioned, though 
many of course possess historical interest. 

Room III (on an easel) 

Sustermans. Portrait of Marchese Geri delta Rena. 

This is one of the artist's best portraits, and is char- 
acterized by a vigour and insight worthy of Van Dyck. 

No. 87. Van der Goes. The Virgin and Child. 

Clear delicate colour, but the expression of Mother 
and Child is lacking in originality. 

No. 92. Paris Bordone. ' Portrait. 

A likeness of great distinction. 

No. 129. Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. Portrait of a 
Youth. 

An expressive head. Compare with No. 3413, Uffizi, 
ascribed to Piero di Cosimo. 

Room IV 

No. 360. Giovanni da Milano. The Virgin and 
Child with SS. Benedict, Catherine, Louis of Toulouse, and 
Giovan- Gualberto. Triptych. 

No. 341. Pesellino. Scenes from the Life of S. 
Andrea Corsini. Predella. 

No. 416. Antonello da 'Messina. The Crucifixion. 

A beautiful little picture. Note the delicately painted 
scenery. Formerly in the Barberini Collection. 

No. 162. Filippino Lippi. The Virgin and Child 
with Angels. 







MADONNA AND CHILD WITH ANGELS 
From the painting by Filippino Lippi in the Corsini Gallery 



P- 275 



CORSINI GALLERY 277 

The gem of this collection, and one of the artist's finest 
compositions. The attitude of the angel proffering flowers 
is most graceful, and the Virgin may rank with his most 
ideal feminine figures. Mr. Berenson, however, doubts 
the ascription to Lippi. 

No. 340. Att. Botticelli. Five allegorical Figures. 

These fanciful figures are neither the Virtues nor (as 
has been suggested) the Muses, but seem rather to be 
intended for Philosophy and the Sciences of the Quad- 
rivium, i.e. Theology, Jurisprudence, Medicine, and 
Letters. This charming composition was the front panel 
of a dower-chest. 

Nos. 338-344. School of Giotto. SS. John the 
Baptist, Anthony, Paul, and Nicholas of Bar i. 

No. 157. Luca Signorelli. The Virgin and Child 
with SS. Jerome and Bernard. 

A superb picture to be set beside the Holy Family 
(Ufiizi, No. 1 291), painted about 1476. The warm 
colour of the draperies contrasts effectively with the pale 
flesh tones. The head of S. Bernard is expressive. 

No. 167. Botticelli. The Virgin and Child with 
Angels. 

An interesting comparison may be made with Filippino 
Lippi's work. 

No. 148. Raphael. Portrait of Pope Julius II. 
Cartoon. 

This superb composition initiates us into the artist's 
methods. Note the minute characterization of the brow 
and hands. The drawing was brought from Urbino by 
Vittoria della Rovere, and whether by gift or purchase 
is not known, passed into the possession of Marchese 
Bartolommeo Corsini, her Chamberlain. Modern critics 
are not inclined to set the stamp of Raphael's genius 
upon this drawing. 

No. 176. Filippino Lippi. The Virgin and Child. 

Brought from the Corsini Villa in 1870. Much 
restored. 

No. 160. Fra Bartolommeo. Holy Family. 



278 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

A characteristic painting. A replica or early copy is 
in the Borghese Collection at Rome. 

Room V 

No. 200. Raffaellino di Carlo. The Virgin En- 
throned, with SS. Jerome and Bartholomew. 

Brilliant colour and graceful grouping distinguish this 
fine altar-piece painted in 1502, for the Corsini Chapel 
in S. Spirito. There are only two other authentic works 
by this master, who was strongly influenced by Lorenzo 
di Credi and Perugino. 

Room VI 

No. 210. Botticelli. Portrait of a Youth, " The 
Goldsmith ". 

This interesting and forcible likeness has been attributed 
to Pollajuolo and Antonello da Messina. The features 
recall the familiar Medici type ; moreover, the ring with 
a pointed diamond being one of their emblems, it sug- 
gests a likely connexion of the sitter with some member 
of that family. 

No. 208. Holbein. Portrait of a Man. 

No. 209. Memling. Portrait of a Youth. 

A comparison between the contemporary Northern 
and Florentine portraiture is interesting. The attribution 
of these two interesting portraits is disputed. 

No. 179. Carlo Dolci. La Poesia. 

The colour is beautiful and the technique faultless. 
The picture, however, fails to interest otherwise than by 
the likeness to Princess Claudia dei Medici, painted also 
as Galla Placidia (No. 200, Uffizi). 

1 No. 241. Andrea del Sarto. Apollo, Daphne, and 
Narcissus. 

The fables united in this fanciful little scene are de- 
picted with quaint diversity of costume. Ascribed also 
to Franciabigio. 



PALAZZI DAVANZATI E SPINI 279 

Room VIII 

No. 259. Piero di Cosimo. Holy Family, 
(Note here also the embroidered hangings of the State 
bed, after designs by Albano.) 

Room IX 

No. 292. Florentine School. Fifteenth century. 
The Execution of Savonarola. 

A painting of historic rather than artistic interest. 
Note the gilt statue of Judith by Donatello (now under 
the Loggia dei Lanzi). 

Palazzo Davanzati. — The fagade of this palace (formerly 
Davizzi), recently restored to something of its original 
splendour, is a conspicuous object in the central portion 
of the town, since from its situation in the Via Porta 
Rossa it faces northward towards the busy Via Vecchietti 
and Via Strozzi. Its tall narrow fagade topped by a 
loggia has a beautiful escutcheon bearing a lion rampant. 
The palace, which dates from the fourteenth century, was 
for a short time the residence of Pope Eugenius IV. 
The last member of the once celebrated family of Davan- 
zati committed suicide by throwing himself out of the 
topmost window of this house. 

The palace has recently been most carefully and suc- 
cessfully restored by Prof. Elia Volpi, so that it now 
affords an excellent example of a fourteenth-century 
Florentine rich merchant's residence. The curious and 
handsome contemporary furniture is especially interest- 
ing ; also the frescoes in many of the chambers, where 
the arms of the ancient Davizzi family are everywhere 
conspicuous — Argent and gules indented, per pale and 
per /ess. 

(Entrance fee, 1 fr. ; lift, 25c.) 

Palazzo Ferroni (formerly Spini), the conspicuous 
palace at the eastern angle of the Lung' Arno Acciajuoli 
and the Via Tornabuoni, and nearly opposite the bridge 



2 8o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

of Santa Trinita, was erected in the thirteenth century by 
Lupo, the master of the great Arnolfo. It is a grim, 
majestic building in the severe Tuscan style of architec- 
ture, its windows decreasing in size in the ascending 
storeys. The Spini, for whom it was built, have long 
been extinct, and in the eighteenth century the palace 
passed into the hands of the Ferroni, a family from the 
neighbourhood of Empoli. Early in the past century the 
palace was converted into the chief hotel of Florence, 
and later it became the head-quarters of Vieusseux's 
well-known public library. The ground floor is now 
occupied by the bank and agency of Messrs. French, 
Lemon & Company ; whilst the rest of the huge palace 
has been converted into various clubs and private apart- 
ments. The British Consulate is also lodged in this 
vast building. The main entrance contains some pieces 
of sculpture and frescoes of the armorial bearings of the 
civic divisions of Florence, etc. An archway near the 
Ponte Santa Trinita, which was removed in 1846, is to 
be seen in all old prints and pictures of this palace 
previous to that date. Immediately opposite the Palazzo 
Ferroni is the fine mediaeval mansion of the ancient 
Gianfigliazzi family, which has recently been restored. 
The Gianfigliazzi are amongst the Florentine families 
honoured by Dante's verse. Their coat-of-arms, a blue 
lion rampant on a golden shield, is still to be seen on 
the exterior of their former abode. 

Palazzo Guadagni. — With its fine proportions and 
spacious overhead loggia this appears one of the finest 
palaces in Florence. It stands at the corner of Piazza 
Santo Spirito and Via Mazzetta, and possesses good iron 
fanali, or lanterns, inferior only to those on the better- 
known Strozzi Palace. The palace was built by Cronaca, 
with additions by other masters of the sixteenth cen- 
tury. The Guadagni, now extinct in the male line, were 
once wealthy and powerful, and owned several palaces 
in the city, including the fine mansion at the rear of 
the Cathedral which still bears the name of Palazzo 



PALAZZI PANDOLFINI E PAZZI 281 

Guadagni. The family arms are a golden notched cross 
on a blue ground — Azure, a cross engrailed or. 

Palazzo Pandolfini. — This simple but beautifully pro- 
portioned little palace, although one of the most elegant 
of all the private dwellings of Florence, is rarely noticed 
by the visitor. It is the only Florentine building of 
which the design can with certainty be attributed to the 
great Raphael. It stands in its own garden between the 
Via Cavour and the Via San Gallo, close to the English 
Church of Holy Trinity. The cornice of the palace con- 
tains a long Latin inscription in huge lettering, which 
tells the reader that Raphael designed the palace for 
Monsignore Gianozzo Pandolfini, Bishop of Troja, a 
favourite court-prelate at the Vatican in the time of 
Leo X (1513-21). 

The family of Pandolfini, long extinct although the 
name is still preserved by the present owners of the 
palace, was founded by one Ser Pandolfo who fought in 
1260 at the battle of Montaperto. The family coat-of- 
arms consists of three golden dolphins on a blue ground 
surmounted by a red label with three golden fleurs-de-lys 
— Azure, three dolphins or, in chief the label of Anjou. 

Palazzo Pazzi. — The great family of the Pazzi, the 
bitter rivals at one time of the Medici, owned several 
palaces in Florence, amongst them being the Palazzo 
Non-finito, a baroque structure by Buontalenti (1592) in 
the Via Proconsolo ; and another which retains their coat- 
of-arms in the adjacent Borgo degli Albizzi. The corner 
of Via Proconsolo and the Borgo degli Albizzi is still known 
as the " Canto dei Pazzi," and it was here on Easter Eve 
that part of the fireworks from the "Scoppio del Carro " 
was till recently discharged, on account of the historic 
connexion between the Pazzi family and this time- 
honoured ceremony. The arms of the Pazzi include two 
dolphins back to back and four crosses on a blue field — 
Azure, two dolphins addorsed between four cross crosslets 
fitchee or. This coat is especially noticeable in the de^ 
coratioh of the celebrated Pazzi Chapel at Saqta Croce P 



282 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Palazzo Pucci, — The chief residence of this opulent 
Florentine family was the palace occupying a large space 
of ground at the angle of Via dei Pucci and Via dei 
Servi. The greater part of this palace was rebuilt by 
Falconieri in the seventeenth century, but certain portions 
of it are of earlier date, notably a loggia and windows by 
Ammanati. At the street corner is the fine papal escut- 
cheon of Pope Leo X by Baccio da Montelupo. The 
arms of the Pucci, a negro's head on a white field — Argent^ 
a blackamoor s head proper — is to be frequently met with, 
notably on the Loggia of the Annunziata, which was 
erected by members of this House. 

Palazzo Roselli Del Turco. — This fine palace stands in 
the quaint mediaeval street of the Borgo Santi Apostoli 
that runs parallel to the Lung' Arno Acciajuoli and is 
itself well worth visiting on account of its ancient build- 
ings and its many towers ; indeed, the Borgo Santi 
Apostoli is perhaps on the whole the most perfect and 
picturesque of the surviving mediaeval streets of Old 
Florence. The palace was erected by Baccio d'Agnolo 
for the Borgherini, but later became the property of the 
Del Turco family, who still possess it. At the corner of 
the palace abutting on the little Piazza del Limbo is a 
picturesque shrine with a Madonna and Child and a Head 
of Christ by Benedetto da Rovezzano. The very fine 
mantelpiece by the same artist, now preserved in the 
National Museum of the Bargello, was taken from a 
chamber of this palace. 

Palazzo Rucellai. — The principal fagade of this palace, 
one of the most important and elegant of the early 
Renaissance buildings of Florence, abuts on a little piazza 
half-way down the busy Via della Vigna Nuova. It was 
erected for the celebrated Bernardo Rucellai in the 
middle of the fifteenth century from a design by Leon- 
Battista Alberti, who in this palace first introduced a com- 
bination of the Rustic and Classical styles with a pleasing 
effect. The friezes of the fagade are adorned with the 
ship in full sail, that was the chief emblem of this mer- 
cantile family, and the same design is to be observed on 



__ 



PALAZZO RUCELLAI 283 

the pretty little loggia opposite (now closed and converted 
into shops), which was also designed by Alberti. The 
palace has a beautiful courtyard with Corinthian columns 
and is said to contain a few works of art within. The 
family of the Rucellai, who still possess the palace of 
their ancestors, are said to have been of German origin 
and to have owed their subsequent wealth and influence 
to the fact that one Alamanno, the founder of the House, 
introduced with great profit to himself the plant orcella, 
a species of lichen much prized for purposes of dyeing. 
From very early times the Rucellai have played a pro- 
minent part in the civic life of Florence, and many 
members of the family have been distinguished in 
Florentine annals for their -learning, patriotism and 
wealth. By the marriage of Nannina dei Medici, sister 
of Lorenzo il Magnifico, with Bernardo Rucellai in the 
fifteenth century, the family became closely connected 
with the great Florentine quasi-royal house. Both this 
Bernardo and his son Giovanni were celebrated as 
scholars and poets of the Italian Renaissance ; and in 
the eighteenth century one Giulio dei Rucellai was well 
known as an energetic reformer of the Church. The 
coat-of-arms of this family, which is to be met with fre- 
quently in the great Church of S. M. Novella, consists of 
a shield divided diagonally with a silver lion on a red 
field above and a design of golden waves on a blue sea 
below — Per bend, gules a lion passant argent, azure three 
f esses wavy or. 

The porter of the palace keeps the keys of the Cappella 
Rucellai in the secularized church (always closed) of San 
Pancrazio in the neighbouring Via Delia Spada, one of 
the oldest ecclesiastical foundations in Florence but re- 
built by the Rucellai in 1480. The Cappella itself con- 
tains a curious model in precious marbles of the Holy 
Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which was erected here by order 
of Giovanni Rucellai in 1467. It is a fantastic structure, 
but interesting as the work of so great an architect as 
Leon-Battista Alberti. 



284 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Close by, at the corner of the Via della Spada, now 
marked with a commemorative marble tablet, is the 
house once inhabited by Sir Robert Dudley, natural son 
of Queen Elizabeth's Earl of Leicester, who, forsaking 
his wife and children in England, fled to Florence with 
a Miss Southwell and was created Duke of Northumber- 
land by the Emperor for his services at the court of 
Cosimo II. He constructed the new harbour at Leghorn 
and published several works on scientific and maritime 
subjects. This strange exile died in 1637, and was 
buried with his so-called Duchess in the Church of San 
Pancrazio already mentioned, hard by. It may be added 
that Charles I of England created Robert Dudley's widow 
in 1643 Duchess of Dudley in her own right. 

Palazzo San Clemente, a late seventeenth-century build- 
ing by Silvani, situated at the angle of theViaGino Capponi 
and the Via Micheli, is of peculiar interest to British 
visitors, since it was bought from the Guadagni family in 
1777 by Prince Charles-Edward Stuart — the Charles III 
of the' Jacobites and the " Young Pretender " of the 
Hanoverians. It is a picturesque irregular pile, the top- 
most roof of which bears an ironwork pennant with the 
royal initials "C.R." and the date 1777, a sad memento 
of the unhappy exile who inhabited it for some years under 
the name of the Count of Albany. On the northern 
side of the palace is a curious old-world garden set with 
moss-grown statues of beasts and shepherds. On the 
southern side the Fiesole tram-line passes within a few 
feet of its ground floor. Here " Bonnie Prince Charlie " 
spent some of the most wretched and disreputable years 
of his life, drinking away his wits, quarrelling with his 
friends, and making himself a laughing-stock to the 
British Minister, Sir Horace Mann, and the Tuscan Court. 
From this house his young wife, Louise of Stolberg- 
Gedern, ran away to seek a refuge from her husband's 
violence in a convent in the neighbouring Via del 
Mandorlo (now Via Giuseppe Giusti) before her escape 
to Rome. Here, a little later, the unhappy Prince was 



PALAZZO STROZZI 285 

joined by his natural daughter, Charlotte Stuart, so-called 
Duchess of Albany, who finally persuaded her father to 
quit Florence for Rome in December, 1785. After the 
Chevalier's death in Rome in January, 1788, the palace and 
its contents became the property of Charlotte, who sold 
the house to the Velluti-Zati family, Dukes of San 
Clemente, its present possessors. 

Palazzo Strozzi, perhaps the finest and most perfect 
example of an Italian Renaissance palace in existence, 
presents its principal facade to the Piazza Strozzi, whilst 
its northern and western sides abut respectively on the 
Via Strozzi and the Via Tornabuoni. Its southern side 
is separated by a narrow passage (now closed) from the 
adjacent houses of Via Tornabuoni. The great mansion 
was erected by Filippo Strozzi the Elder in 1489, when 
the first stone was laid at daybreak of the sixth day of 
August. The palace was erected from a design and 
under the superintendence of Benedetto da Majano till 
the death of that master in 1507, when the work was 
given over to Simone del Pollajuolo, surnamed Cronaca, 
who is responsible for the magnificent but unfinished 
Corinthian cornice that forms so marked a feature of 
this splendid building. Although far smaller than the 
Pitti and less massive than the Riccardi, the Palazzo 
Strozzi presents a more graceful and harmonious appear- 
ance than either of those edifices. The fana/i, or lanterns 
of vvrought-iron at the corners of the palace are amongst 
the finest specimens of ironwork known, and were made 
by Niccolo Grosso (called " II Caparro ") from a design 
furnished by Benedetto da Majano. Very fine, too, are 
the sphinxes' busts for torch-holders and the metal rings 
that are inserted in the facades. All round the huge 
rustic base of the palace runs a stone seat, formerly 
affording a resting-place to the humble toilers in the street 
and to the sellers of flowers, shells, papers, etc. The 
courtyard is handsome, but the interior of the palace, once 
so rich in works of art and paintings, now contains little of 
importance save the large collection of the Strozzi archives. 



a86 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The powerful family of Strozzi is presumed to derive 
from a certain Ubertino, who flourished in the thirteenth 
century and whose descendants have always taken a 
prominent part in the civic history of their native city. 
The most celebrated member of the family was the 
handsome but dissolute Filippo Strozzi, who became the 
husband of Clarice dei Medici, niece of Leo X, and ulti- 
mately died in prison under Cosimo I. Since the death 
of Prince Piero Strozzi in 1907, the palace has been 
partly rented to a local dealer in works of art. The 
arms of the Strozzi, which are to be met with in all parts 
of Florence, consist of three silver crescents in a 
crimson band on a golden field — Or y on a /ess gules three 
crescents argent. The family device of three crescents 
conjoined is also frequently to be seen on houses that 
are or have been the property of the Strozzi family. 
On the eastern side of the Piazza Strozzi, facing the 
great palace, is a small but massive building known as 
// Strozzino, built by Michelozzo in 1460 for Palla 
Strozzi, the head of a younger branch of this dis- 
tinguished family. 

Palazzo Torreggiani. — This is the conspicuous pile of 
buildings at the southern end of the Ponte alle Grazie, 
, which consists of two palaces, both belonging to the 
Torreggiani family. The older and smaller house, de- 
corated with sgraffiti, is attributed fo Ammanati. The 
family escutcheon, containing a tower with three stars, 
is to be observed on the fagade. In the same little 
piazza is the former residence of the Mozzi family, an 
ancient edifice of the thirteenth century with gardens in 
the rear ascending to the old city walls. The Palazzo 
Mozzi was once occupied in 1326 by Walter de Brienne, 
Duke of Athens, and in later times came into the posses- 
sion of the Mozzi family, now extinct. 

Bridges. — The Arno is spanned by six bridges, form- 
ing the communication with Oltr' Arno. Four of these 
are ancient, and their history is, closely bound up with 
the progress and fortunes of the city. There are in addi- 








PALAZZO STROZZI 



f. 28 5 



PALAZZO FERROXI (SPIXl) 



p. 2 7 Q 




PALAZZO CORSIXI AND THE LUNG ARNO CORSINI 



THE BRIDGES 287 

tion two iron bridges erected in the last century, one 
opposite the hill of San Miniato and the other at the 
entrance to the Cascine. (A toll of 5 c. is exacted from 
the foot-passengers who use these two modern construc- 
tions.) 

The most easterly and also the most ancient of the 
four historic Florentine bridges is the Ponte alle Grazie, 
formerly called "Rubaconte," and as such alluded to by 
Dante in a famous passage in the opening cantos of the 
14 Purgatorio ". It was built by Lapo, father of Arnolfo 
di Cambio, in 1237, and its sturdy piers and founda- 
tions have for nearly seven centuries withstood the tor- 
rential floods that often swell the Arno in winter and 
autumn. The bridge formerly possessed a small chapel 
built through the piety of the Alberti family, and con- 
taining a much -venerated statue of the Madonna delle 
Grazie. Small cells inhabited by nuns also were to be 
seen on this bridge so late as 1874, when the Ponte alle 
Grazie (so-called from the Madonna already mentioned) 
was considerably widened, whilst the chapel was re-erected 
on the Lung' Arno delle Grazie, and the nuns' dwellings 
were removed altogether. The wide open views to be 
obtained from this bridge are singularly beautiful, com- 
prising the whole sweep of the hills to the north of 
Florence as far as the Vallombrosan mountains. 

Ponte Vecchio, ''the Old Bridge," the most famous if 
not actually the most ancient in structure of the Floren- 
tine bridges, was erected by Taddeo Gaddi (?) in 1365, 
although the site had been occupied by a succession of 
bridges, more or less secure, since Roman times. With 
its masses of small shops, which have been appropriated 
since the time of Cosimo I by the Florentine goldsmiths 
and jewellers, and with its fantastic pinnacles and curious 
colonnaded gallery of the Uffizi overhead, the Ponte 
Vecchio appeals with singular force to all lovers of the 
picturesque. Artists of every land find an inexhaustible 
source of inspiration in its marvellous colouring and irre- 
gular beauties of outline, so that it is rarely seen without 



2 88 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

the presence of several painters all busily employed in 
depicting its charm. On the thoroughfare of the bridge 
itself the picturesque Florentine crowd affords an endless 
source of interest, to say nothing of the contents of the 
many shops of jewellery, modern, antique, and sham- 
antique, which are spread temptingly before the casual 
visitor. The Ponte Vecchio, indeed, is as busy a centre 
of Florentine life and energy to-day as it was centuries 
ago, and the visitor cannot spend a more agreeable hour 
than in standing in the open space in the middle of the 
bridge, to watch the views up and down the river and to 
inspect the passing lines of people. 

The central portion contains some mediaeval inscrip- 
tions, one of them alluding to the great flood of 1333 
which destroyed the predecessor of Gaddi's structure ; 
a curious gnomon ; and a bust of Benvenuto Cellini 
placed here on the fourth centenary of the birth of this 
prince of Florentine jewellers, who was born in 1500. 
In the little piazza on the southern side of the bridge is 
a fountain and a bronze statue of Bacchus, occupying the 
site of the old pagan equestrian statue of Mars, so beloved 
of the early Florentines, which was swept away in the 
great flood of 1333. It was before this figure of Mars 
that the young Buondelmonte was struck down by the 
Amadei and Lamberti in 12 15. Above the tiny houses 
of the jewellers runs the great corridor that Vasari built 
in 1564 for Cosimo I in order to connect the Pitti and 
Uffizi Palaces. 

The Ponte Santa Trinita was first erected in the four- 
teenth century, but after having been injured several 
times by the force of the floods, the old bridge by Taddeo 
Gaddi was finally swept away bodily in 1557, when 
Cosimo I commissioned Bartolommeo Ammanati to 
build the existing structure, which is a singularly graceful 
one with three broad, gently curving arches. It is adorned 
with statues of the Four Seasons by Caccini and other 
artists, which were placed here in 1608 to commemorate 
the wedding of Maria- Maddalena of Austria with the 



PONTE ALLA CARRAJA 289 

Grand- Duke Cosimo II. At its south-eastern corner is 
the huge Frescobaldi Palace, a conspicuous building with 
a handsome rococo facade, which after various changes 
has now been converted into a school for the higher edu- 
cation of girls. 

Pontealla Carraja. — This bridge, first erected in 12 18, 
has been several times restored or rebuilt by various 
Florentine architects, including Ammanati in 1557. 
Enlarged and modernized in 1867, it is now crossed by 
the tram-line leading from the centre of the town to 
the Porta Romana by way of the Via dei Serragli. On 
May Day, 1304, this bridge became the scene of a terrible 
disaster, when some fetes were being provided for the 
populace. In order to see a realistic representation of Hell 
that some mummers were performing here, vast undiscip- 
lined crowds rushed suddenly upon the Ponte alia Carraja, 
with the result that the fabric gave away beneath the un- 
accustomed strain, and the whole mass of people was 
precipitated into the river, numbers being drowned or 
seriously injured. The little piazza on the north side of 
the bridge, formerly known as Piazza alia Carraja, has 
recently been re-named Piazzetta Goldoni, in honour of 
the Venetian dramatist, whose statue adorns the space 
close to the Hotel Bristol. 

Other Buildings. — Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. 
— The facade of this historic institution, the oldest hospital 
in Florence, occupies the greater part of the piazza of the 
same name, a little to the east of the Piazza del Duomo. 
Founded by Folco Portinari, the father of Dante's Beatrice, 
in 1285, S. M. Nuova is still the largest and most import- 
ant of the many Florentine hospitals. It is a vast rambling 
building, dating partly from the fourteenth century, but 
naturally much altered and modernized, whilst more recent 
edifices connected with it adjoin it on every side. The 
long picturesque loggia and the fagade were the work of 
Parigi and Buontalenti between 1574 and 1612. . The 
Church of Sanf Egidio, which gives its name to the ad- 
jacent street, is incorporated with the hospital. It was 
19 



290 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

designed by Lorenzo di Bicciin 141 8, and contains a few 
works of art by that master, the Delia Robbias and others. 
In the church is preserved the Gothic monument of Folco 
Portinari. In the court is a bas-relief of Monna Tessa 
dated 1288, the old servant of Folco Portinari, who i: 
said to have urged her master to the noble work of found 
ing and endowing this hospital. (Another and better 
known portrait of this old woman in terra-cotta is now 
preserved in the Bargello.) The central portal (now 
closed) is adorned by two frescoes by Lorenzo di Bicci (?) 
(1420), and Andrea di Giusto (1435), tne former of which 
represents Pope Martin V consecrating the Church of S. 
Egidio, while the latter shows the same pontiff confirming 
the privileges of the hospital. 

The contents of the small Picture Gallery, which was 
once installed here, with its superb Van der Goes, have 
been removed to the Uffizi in recent years. 

Mercato Nuovo. — This square, which was once one of 
the chief centres of Florentine industrial life, is almost 
wholly occupied by the graceful loggia erected here 
by Cosimo I, between the years 1547 and 1551 byGian- 
Battista del Tassa. Its upper storey was intended for the 
reception of the State archives. In the middle of the 
pillared expanse is a white marble disc let into the pave- 
ment, on which in former and more severe times bank- 
rupts were compelled to sit. In the early part of the 
sixteenth century the Mercato Nuovo was especially the 
resort of the leading goldsmiths and jewellers, and here 
it was that Cellini worked during many years of his youth. 
The niches of the loggia are intended to be filled with 
statues of famous Florentines, like those in the Logge of 
the Uffizi, but only three figures, those of Cennini, Michele 
di Lando, and Villani, have so far been placed here. At 
the eastern side of the loggia is the celebrated Bronze 
Boar, a favourite fountain of the people in the form of a 
boar, which Tacca copied from the marble original in the 
Uffizi. It was placed here by the Grand-Duke Ferdinand 
II, The Mercato Nuovo is still the centre of the straw- 



a s 



MERCATO VECCHIO 291 

plaiting industry, and straw hats, fans, etc., can be bought 
here. On Thursday mornings a flower-market is held 
here under cover, which is well attended by the foreign 
colony in Florence. 

In a little lane leading hence to the Via delle Terme 
is to be seen the picturesque old building of the Arte 
della Seta, with a graceful balcony and a magnificent 
coat-of-arms attributed to Donatello. 

Mercato Vecchio. — This square, the old historic 
" Centro " of Florence, has ceased to exist since 1889 
when the Municipality of Florence condemned this in- 
tensely interesting but highly malodorous quarter, and 
eventually pulled down the Mercato Vecchio, together 
with many of the adjacent streets and lanes. The huge 
and ugly Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele now stands on the 
site of the old Florentine Centro ; whilst the archway 
connecting the piazza with the Via Strozzi bears a pomp- 
ous inscription calling public attention to the beauty and 
magnificence of the new square, which, from an archi- 
tectural point of view, is certainly not a credit to modern 
Florentine taste. In the middle of the piazza is Zocchi's 
heavy equestrian statue of King Victor-Emmanuel II, 
whilst the western side of the square has an arcade with 
good shops, cafes, and some places of entertainment. 
Glaring and uninteresting as is the new Centro, it is still 
the chief rendezvous of mercantile Florence, and its cafes 
are crowded day and night. A few of the old palazzi 
are still left standing around this dreary modern square, 
and certain of the old names are still preserved in the new 
streets. The objects of artistic or historical interest which 
were found in the various houses and churches of the 
demolished quarter were removed to the inner cloister of 
San Marco, where they can be inspected by such as take 
an interest in the vanished Mercato Vecchio, the disap- 
pearance of which has broken a valuable historical link 
with the past. 



FIESOLE 

THE Expedition to Fiesole should be included in every 
visit, however brief or hurried, to Florence, as much 
for the superb and extensive panorama to be obtained 
from this lofty spot as for the sake of inspecting the 
ancient city with its cathedral church. Fiesole can be 
reached either by electric tram or by carriage, the latter 
course implying an interesting but somewhat lengthy up- 
hill drive to the piazza of Fiesole, which stands about 
800 feet above the level of Florence itself. The electric 
trams (often, not to say usually, most unpleasantly 
crowded, especially in the afternoons) start every twenty 
minutes from the Piazza del Duomo and make the ascent 
in about three-quarters of an hour. The tram-line 
follows the Via Gino Capponi, crosses the Viali and 
emerges out of the suburbs at San Gervasio below the 
large villa of Font' all' Erta, and thence ascends by curves 
past villas and vineyards to the piazza of San Domenico. 
The carriage road passes out of the Porta San Gallo and 
proceeds between walls almost the whole way to San 
Domenico, at which point there is a fine view, embracing 
the mountains and the valley of the Arno. 

San Domenico, a small village in the commune of 
Fiesole, possesses a Dominican convent founded by 
Bishop Altoviti of Fiesole and built at the opening of the 
fifteenth century. It is celebrated throughout the world 
owing to its connexion with the pious friar and famous 
painter, Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, better known as Fra 
Angelico, who resided here most of his life. The church, 
which has a pretty loggia, abuts on the piazza to the right, 

292 



FIESOLE 293 

but it is rarely open save early in the morning. The 
interior formerly contained many important works by 
Fra Angelico, but all have been dispersed, with the 
exception of the altar-piece of the choir, a triptych re- 
presenting a Santa Conversazione. Another altar-piece, the 
Baptism of Christ, is by Lorenzo di Credi. The adjoin- 
ing convent is celebrated not only for its connexion with 
Fra Angelico, but also for its memories of other famous 
Florentine Dominicans, including the good Archbishop 
Sant' Antonino and Fra Domenico Buonvicini, the de- 
voted friend of Savonarola, who suffered death with his 
master in 1498. 

Opposite the church a road leads northwards towards 
the valley of the Mugnone in a few hundred yards to the 
Badia Fiesola?ia, a picturesque pile of buildings (now a 
Jesuit school), consisting of a church and a monastery 
founded in 1028. Until that date the ancient church 
here served as the Cathedral of Fiesole, but in 1028 
Bishop Jacopo il Bavaro moved the episcopal see to 
Fiesole itself. Its old tenth-century facade of black and 
white marble still exists on the side facing the valley of 
the Mugnone to northward. The handsome interior, 
attributed to Brunelleschi, contains various monuments 
to members of Florentine families. It was at the high 
altar of this church that on 9 March, 1492, Giovanni dei 
Medici, afterwards Pope Leo X, received in state the 
hat of a cardinal at the age of sixteen. The adjoining 
monastery was frequently the scene of meetings of the 
Florentine Academy in the times of Lorenzo dei Medici, 
whose friend the humanist Pico della Mirandola wrote 
certain of his works here. The refectory contains the 
masterpiece of Giovanni da San Giovanni, a fresco, Christ 
ministered* to by Angels, painted in 1629. 

The whole of the fertile country-side around San 
Domenico is thickly studded with the villas of wealthy 
Florentine residents, chiefly erected in the fifteenth and 
sixteenth centuries. Prominent amongst them on the 
steep hill-side below the crest of Fiesole is the Villa 



294 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Medicea (not shown), a large square building with magni- 
ficent terraced gardens. This villa, one of the finest of 
Renaissance country residences, was built for Cosimo il 
Vecchio in 1458 by Michelozzo, and was long a favourite 
resort of the Medici of the elder branch of that House. 
The Platonic Academy often met here, and this retreat 
was originally intended by the Pazzi conspirators for the 
scene of the double murder of Lorenzo and his brother 
Giuliano in 1478 ; an attempt of which the execution 
was only baulked by the unexpected absence at the last 
moment of Giuliano dei Medici. The villa was sold by 
the Grand-Duke Cosimo III in 167 1, and since that date 
has been possessed in turn by many owners. At the end 
of a lane leading to the right out of the piazza of San 
Domenico is the large Villa Landor, once the favourite 
home of the poet Walter Savage Landor, 1 who found this 
villa " so hard to keep, yet harder to resign ". Later, it 
became the property of Mr. Fiske, the American scholar, 
but has recently again been sold. The huge Villa 
Palmieri (so beloved of the late Queen Victoria), which is 
out of sight from this point, lies not far off in the valley 
of the Mugnone, the boundary wall of its podere or estate 
following the line of the carriage road from Florence. To 
the east is to be observed the crenellated outline of 
Poggio Gherardo, the beautiful fourteenth -century villa of 
Mrs. Ross, the tower of which was overthrown by the 
earthquake of May, 1895. Beyond this can be seen the 
extensive woods of Vincigliata, a mediaeval castle restored 
and fitted up in a suitable manner by the late Mr. Temple 
Leader (d. 1903). To the right of Vincigliata stands the 
little town of Settignano on its hill- top, with the Vallom- 
brosan hills for a background. The walled monastery 
crowning the bare rounded hill to the right of Settignano 
is the Incontro, a religious house said by tradition to have 
been the meeting-place of SS. Francis and Dominic. It 

1 Landor died at Florence in 1864, and is buried in the old 
Protestant cemetery at Porta Pinti. 



FIESOLE 295 

would be impossible in this short space to describe more 
out of this mass of villas, great and small, which adorn 
the slopes below Fiesole, though many of them are as- 
sociated with the names of persons distinguished both in 
Florentine and in foreign history. 

From the piazza of San Domenico two roads lead up- 
ward to the city of Fiesole, situated on the little plateau 
lying between the two crests of the rocky ridge that 
overlooks Florence. The longer and better road, which 
is followed by the tram, goes eastward by broad curves to 
the Regresso da Majano, where the tram-cars are reversed 
before proceeding up the concluding portion of the hill. 
The older and more picturesque road, known as the Old 
Fiesole Road, leads by a steep ascent to the left from 
the piazza. It passes almost immediately the little villa 
known as II Rip so del Vescovo, at which spot the Bishops 
of Fiesole were in former times wont to exchange their 
coach for a wagon drawn by oxen so as to accomplish 
the very steep final ascent to their episcopal city. This 
road, after passing a clump of cypresses close to the Villa 
Medicea, leads straight up to the piazza of Fiesole. 

Fiesole, the classical Faesulae, the seat of a bishop and 
a commune in itself, contains a population of about 2000. 
The town is amongst the most ancient in all Italy, but 
its early history is lost in obscurity, although its former 
importance is easily manifested by its existing walls of 
Cyclopean construction. In later times Faesulae became 
a Roman city of some wealth and consequence, as is 
clearly shown by the various ruins of baths and temples 
and by the many objects of classical civilization unearthed 
and preserved in the Palazzo Pretorio here. Several 
fragments of ancient marbles are said to have found their 
way to Florence for the decoration of the Baptistery and 
other buildings. In the Middle Ages Fiesole was of small 
importance, and was only ruled by its own municipal 
officials, the Gonfalonieri and Podesta, after the year 
1515, in the time of Leo X. The chief building in the 
town is the Cathedral, the slender crenellated tower of 



296 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

which is so familiar an object from the streets of Florence 
that face the direction of Fiesole. This edifice owes its 
existence to Bishop Jacopo il Bavaro, who, deeming the 
old cathedral (now incorporated in the Badia Fiesolana) 
distant and inconvenient, decided to build a cathedral 
at this spot in 1028. Accordingly the present structure • 
was raised, largely out of the remnants of Roman ruins, 
and again in the thirteenth century it was restored and 
enlarged. Its severe external architecture affords a good 
example of the Tuscan -Romanesque style, and in 1885 
it was restored to its supposed original appearance in a 
most drastic manner. The interior strongly resembles 
in its plan that of San Miniato al Monte, which is al- 
most a contemporary building, and in both cases are to 
be found raised choirs resting on pillared crypts. The 
font, perhaps of Roman origin, was taken from the 
neighbouring ancient Basilica of Sant' Alessandro. Over 
the entrance door is a statue of San Romulo in a niche 
richly decorated with glazed terra-cotta, a late Delia 
Robbia work. The choir has, in the Salutati Chapel to 
the right, the beautiful Monument of Bishop Salutati 
(d. 1465), one of the masterpieces of Mino da Fiesole. 
This work in white marble consists of the bust and 
sarcophagus of the prelate, and a marble triptych with 
reliefs of the Madonna and SS. John, Romulo, and 
Leonard. The fagade was added by Sant' Andrea 
Corsini, who was Bishop of Fiesole from 1349-73. 

The large piazza outside is bordered by several public 
buildings. Close to the cathedral are the episcopal 
palace and the seminary, the latter a large square 
building erected in 1637. (In Florence itself the little 
church and adjacent residence of Santa Maria-in-Campo, 
in the Via del Proconsolo, were formerly the property of 
the Fiesolan bishops, and the church contains many 
monuments of Fiesolan prelates and clergy.) On rising 
ground at the eastern end of the piazza is the small Palazzo 
Pretorio of the thirteenth century, covered with armorial 
shields of former Podesta. It contains a collection of 






FIESOLE 297 

antiquities found in the local excavations. Adjoining 
is the little Church of S. Maria Primerana of the tenth 
century. Behind the cathedral to the north can be 
seen the sole existing remnant of the Cyclopean walls, 
near which a perfect Cyclopean arch was destroyed so 
late as 1849; and inside a gateway marked "Teatro 
Romano " are the excavated portions of an ancient 
Theatre and some remains of Thermae (entrance fee, 50c, 
which also admits to the Palazzo Pretorio). The amphi- 
theatre of these ruins, opened in 1809, consists of six- 
teen rows of stone seats arranged in the usual semi- 
circular fashion. From this point there is a fine view up 
the somewhat sterile valley of the Mugnone with the 
barren slopes of Monte Morello and Monte Senario for a 
background. A pleasant and by no means tedious walk, 
of about half an hour's length, can also be taken round 
the contour of the hill by passing beneath the fragment 
of the Cyclopean wail to the left, and returning to the 
Piazza di San Domenico by this road which joins the 
Old Fiesole Road near the Villa Medicea, already 
mentioned. 

Returning to the cathedral and taking the Via San 
Francesco that leads up-hill to the left, visitors should 
ascend to the ancient Arx, or Acropolis of Faesulae, a 
steep rocky peak now occupied by monasteries and 
churches. Half-way up is the ancient Basilica of Sant' 
Alessandro, the oldest Christian building in Fiesole, 
modernized but still retaining fifteen antique marble 
columns of cipollino. Tradition states that this church 
was erected on the site of a pagan temple by Theodoric, 
King of the Goths, in which case it must rank as one 
of the oldest churches in Tuscany. The highest point 
of the Arx is crowned by the Franciscan Convent and 
Church of San Francesco (ladies not admitted), from the 
terrace of which a particularly fine view of Florence and 
the valley of the Arno is to be obtained. 

Persons driving to Fiesole, and also good pedestrians, 
are strongly urged, if time and weather permit, to return 



298 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

home by way of the road that passes through the woods 
of Vincigliata to the east, and eventually joins the 
Florentine tram-line at Ponte a Mensola, below the town 
of Settignano. It is one of the most beautiful walks or 
drives in all Italy, and the views are superb. 

(Carriages can be obtained on the piazza at Fiesole ; 
bargain beforehand advisable. The Hotel Aurora^ in the 
piazza, will supply meals and has a good terrace with a 
wide view over Florence. Good bedrooms at moderate 
prices can also be obtained in this hotel.) 



THE CERTOSA OF VAL D'EMA 

A VISIT to the Certosa, or monastery of Carthusian 
^*- monks, in the Val d'Ema is recommended, not 
so much on account of the artistic or historical attractions 
of the place, as of the interest afforded by the observation 
of an important and typical Italian mediaeval conventual 
establishment. The short excursion thither may be 
easily made in from two and a half to three hours, and 
either a carriage may be hired at the fixed tariff of 6 fr., 
or else use may be made of the electric tram-line from 
Florence to Greve, which passes close to the lodge of the 
Certosa at Galuzzo. 

The way to the Certosa lies through the fine old Porta 
Romana, with its decaying fresco by Ghirlandajo and its 
marble tablets commemorating the State visits to Florence 
of Pope Leo X and the Emperor Charles V in 1515 and 
1 535 respectively. A hundred yards farther on the left 
is the entrance to the principal shop and factory of the 
celebrated modern Cantagalli ware, in which the beauti- 
ful glazed terra-cotta of the Delia Robbias and the fine 
lustre and majolica ware of Italy have been so successfully 
imitated. A visit to Cantagalli's interesting warehouse 
outside the Porta Romana can therefore be conveniently 
combined with the excursion to the Certosa. Passing 
the top of the hill beyond and descending into the valley 
of the Ema, the large Protestant Cemetery of the Allori 
is seen to the right at about one and a half miles' distance 
from the Porta Romana. Shortly after traversing the 
piazza of the village of Galuzzo the entrance lodge of the 
Certosa is reached at which carriages are admitted. From 

299 



3oo FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 






this point it is a walk or drive of about a third of a mile 
up the hill to the monastery itself. 

The monastery crowns the rounded hill of Montaguto 
covered with cypresses, that stands prominently in the 
deep valley of the Ema, and from a distance the building 
bears rather the appearance of a mediaeval fortress than 
of a conventual house. The Certosa was founded in 1341 
by Niccolo Acciajoli, or Acciauoli, a member of a family 
that had just risen to considerable power in the Republic. 
This Niccolo became a merchant at Naples, where he 
quickly gained the good graces of the Empress Catherine, 
widow of Philip of Taranto, and later of Queen Joanna 
I. The monastery thus founded by a Florentine citizen 
from a distance was intended to compass the education 
of fifty students under Carthusian instruction, and for 
this purpose a fine library was collected in this house. 
In 1366 the founder died and was buried here, his 
monument by Orcagna (?) being one of the chief artistic 
treasures of the Certosa. The design of the convent is 
generally attributed to Orcagna, and its building was 
completed between the years 1369 and 1394, at which date 
it was consecrated. A comparatively small number of 
monks is permitted to reside here now, and one of these 
white-robed brothers always acts as cicerone to the numer- 
ous visitors that a fine afternoon invariably attracts to 
this spot. 

On arrival, visitors will be interested in noticing the 
immense thickness of the walls and the various contriv- 
ances for storing fuel, etc., in olden days. A steep paved 
corridor leads from the entrance to the courtyard above, 
from which is to be obtained a good view of the Val 
d'Ema to the south. Originally erected in the latter 
half of the fourteenth century, the extensive buildings 
of the Certosa exhibit also portions of almost every later 
period of architecture. The Church, much modernized, 
is divided into an outer and an inner part, the latter 
of which contains a handsome marble pavement, carved 
stalls and an elaborate high altar with a canopy wherein 



THE CERTOSA OF VAL D'EMA 301 

are set eleven small bronze statues by Gian- Bologna. 
The chapel to the right in the form of a Greek cross is 
part of the original structure of the fourteenth century, 
and over one of its altars are some contemporary frescoes 
of the Trinity, various saints, and the Madonna (almost 
wholly re-painted). From this ancient chapel a staircase 
descends to a lower chapel where are four celebrated 
Monuments of the Acciajoli Fa mily, including the mural 
monument dated 1366 of Niccold of Naples, the founder 
of the convent, which has been attributed to Orcagna. 
In the adjoining Chapel of S. Andrew is the beautiful 
Renaissance Tomb of Cardinal Angelo Acciajoli (d. 1409), 
ascribed to Donatello. Returning to the church, it is 
usual to cross the pretty little adjacent cloistered court 
with a fine well-head and thence proceed towards the 
Grand Cloister, by way of the passage filled with stained 
glass by Giovanni da Udine. This passage admits, by 
means of a beautiful carved door, to the Chapter House, 
which contains in its pavement the recumbent Effigy 
of Leonardo Buonafede, sponsor to Catherine de Medicis, 
Queen of France, a fine work by Francesco da Sangallo, . 
dated 1545. The same chamber also possesses a good 
fresco of the Crucifixion over the altar by Albertinelli 

(i 5 o6). 

The Grand Cloister, laid out as a garden, is distin- 
guished by an ornate well-house, which, in combina- 
tion with white -robed monks drawing water, has long 
proved a favourite subject with artists. The lunettes of 
the spacious surrounding colonnades are filled with 
specimens of the Delia Robbia glazed and coloured 
ware. Some of these are modern copies, inserted to 
replace the originals which were destroyed in the dis- 
astrous earthquake of May, 1895, when the Certosa and 
all the villages in the valley of the Ema suffered severely. 
At the four angles of the cloisters are four Frescoes of 
the Passion, good works of Pontormo, painted in 1522. 
Round the court are some twenty sets of monastic cells, 
most of which remain empty. From a small terrace, 



3 o2 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

entered from the north-west angle of the court, there is 
a glorious distant view over Florence and the Apennines. 

It is usual to visit the Refectory, where the tables are 
always seen set with their curious old-fashioned services 
of domestic ware. Not far from this point is the entrance 
to the suite of rooms occupied by the unfortunate Pope 
Pius VI, who spent nearly a twelvemonth of captivity 
here before being finally deported by the French army 
of occupation to Valence in France, where he died in 
1799. The rooms contain a portrait and a few personal 
memorials of the ill-fated pontiff, and from the windows 
are to be obtained charming glimpses of the rich Tuscan 
landscape. At the Pharmacy can be purchased the 
excellent yellow Chartreuse liqueur [Certosa gialla) made 
by the monks according to an old recipe. 

The tram-line, after passing the Certosa, proceeds 
southward to Greve through a well-tilled, fertile wine- 
growing country by way of San Casciano, where is still 
shown the small house wherein Machiavelli wrote his 
most famous treatise, " The Prince ". 

From Galuzzo, close to the Certosa, a good carriage 
road leads uphill towards Impruneta, a large village with 
a flourishing industry for the making of terra-cotta jars 
, for oil or for garden plants. The interesting church 
contains the celebrated statue and wealthy shrine of the 
Madonna delP Impruneta^ and some works of art are 
preserved in the sacristy. 



THE FESTIVALS OF FLORENCE 

IN modern times the various festivals have lost much 
of their former interest and picturesque environment, 
especially the time-honoured Carnival, which was wont 
to be celebrated with great gaiety in the old Grand- 
Ducal days. In spite of. some recent attempts to revive 
its former jollity and significance, it has now degenerated 
into mere street rowdyism on Martedi Grasso, or Shrove 
Tuesday. The period before Lent is, however, still the 
most festal season in Florence, and is accompanied by 
good performances at the theatres and by much social 
entertainment. Ascension Day (Giorno dei Grilli) is ob- 
served largely by the Florentines, who go out to the 
country or the Cascine at daybreak in order to catch the 
little black grilli, or grasshoppers with the loud chirrup, 
whence the festival obtains its popular name. The con- 
tadini bring these little creatures to sell" in the city, en- 
closed in tiny cages of wire or of split reeds of a curious 
archaic pattern. On the Festa del Statu to, or anniversary 
of the Constitution, which falls on the first Sunday in 
June, a full-dress parade of the garrison is held, and at 
dusk the Palazzo Vecchio, the public buildings, and the 
various barracks are illuminated. 

The many festivals of the Church have naturally lost 
much of their old-time splendour, but the various cere- 
monies at Christmas-tide and during Holy Week are still 
conducted with pomp in several of the churches ; notably 
in the Duomo, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Santa Trinita, 
and the Santissima Annunziata. The last-named church, 
the mother-church of the Servite Order, has long been 

3°3 



3<h FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

noted for its fine music, which is the best in Florence, 
and all the festivals connected with the Virgin are kept 
here with elaborate ceremonial. (Among the minor cere- 
monies of a local character which are still observed, the 
decking with fresh flowers of the Tower of San Zanobi 
in Via Por Santa Maria and the taking of baskets of 
roses to his shrine in the Duomo on 25 May may be 
mentioned.) The picturesque procession of the Gesu 
Morto, the carrying in state of the Dead Saviour, takes 
place on Good Friday evening at many of the villages 
around Florence, and can easily be witnessed at Grassina, 
Settignano, and elsewhere. On this occasion the figure 
of the Dead Christ is borne with lamentation through the 
lanes and fields by bands of the contadini, and is accom- 
panied by peasants mounted on horseback and habited 
as Roman soldiers. The decking of the graves with fresh 
flowers and w T ith immense wreaths on All Saints' Day is 
still a very popular custom, and large numbers of mourners 
are to be seen on that day proceeding towards the various 
cemeteries laden with flowers, On S. John's Day, 24 
June, the day of the Patron Saint of Florence, the cupola 
of the cathedral, the Campanile, and the Baptistery are il- 
luminated, and fireworks used to be discharged from the 
Ponte alia Carraja. Not unfrequently the Municipality 
of Florence undertakes to organize fetes illustrating the 
old civic games and amusements. On such occasions the 
Piazza S. M. Novella or the Piazza Santa Croce is sur- 
rounded with barriers and seats, and turned into a 
temporary arena for the playing in proper mediaeval 
costume of the calcio (the mediaeval football) or for the 
giostra (tilting at the ring). The old Tuscan ball-game 
of Pallone is still continued, and may be witnessed any 
evening after the beginning of May in the court erected 
for that purpose near the entrance of the Cascine. 

But the chief festival connected with Florence that 
still survives intact, and is peculiar to the city, is the 
Scoppio del Carro, which, although strictly speaking an 
ecclesiastical ceremony, has for centuries past partaken, 



THE FESTIVALS OF FLORENCE 305 

more of the character of a popular entertainment. The 
Scoppio del Carro (the Bursting of the Car) takes place 
on the noon of Holy Saturday, and has its origin in 
an old Florentine tradition concerning the Pazzi family. 
One Pazzo dei Pazzi, ancestor of this distinguished 
mercantile house, is said to have first planted the Chris- 
tian banner on the walls of Jerusalem during the First 
Crusade, for which feat Geoffroi de Bouillon presented 
him with some flint stones from the Holy Sepulchre itself. 
These relics the Florentine knight brought back with deep 
reverence to his native city and gave them into the charge 
of the Signoria. They were first kept in the Church of 
Santa Reparata, and were used for the kindling of the 
Holy Fire on Easter Day, for which purpose they are 
still utilized, though they are now preserved in the treasury 
of the ancient little Basilica of Santi Apostoli. The 
Pazzi family has always been closely associated with the 
curious ceremony which after so many centuries still 
interests and delights the Florentines, and it was always 
at the expense of the Pazzi that the car and other acces- 
sories necessary to the ceremony were provided. Early 
on the morning of Holy Saturday the clergy of the 
cathedral go in solemn procession to Santi Apostoli, 
where the Holy Fire is ignited by means of the Pazzi 
flints brought from Jerusalem. The sacred flame, care- 
fully guarded, is then conveyed in an ancient lantern to 
the Duomo and placed near the high altar. The same 
morning the huge " Carro " is taken out of its tall store- 
house near the Prato Gate and drawn by four Tuscan 
milk-white oxen with gilded horns and with wreaths of 
flowers to the Piazza del Duomo. The car itself, an ugly 
tall structure coloured a dull chocolate, is adorned with 
the dolphins which are the heraldic emblems of the Pazzi. 
Of recent years, however, the Municipality of Florence has 
undertaken the management of the Scoppio del Carro, the 
Pazzi family having signified its reluctance to conduct it. 
The car, covered with a great number of fireworks, is 
stationed opposite the main portal of the cathedral, and a 
20 



3o6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

wire is made to connect it with the high altar within. At 
the conclusion of the Pontifical High Mass, whilst the 
Gloria in Excelsis is being sung, which is close on the 
stroke of midday, the Archbishop of Florence, using the 
sacred fire, sets alight a small metal dove, La Colombina 
(which sometimes gives its name to the whole curious 
ceremony) ; and this dove, thus ignited, flies by mechanism 
down the outstretched wire and out at the wide-open 
doorway, so as to discharge the mass of fireworks on the 
" Carro " outside in the piazza. Having accomplished 
this feat, the dove automatically returns to the high altar, 
whilst the thousands of contadini present draw a good 
or evil augury for the coming harvest according to the 
straight or erratic flight of the Colombina, An immense 
crowd, composed of Florentine citizens and country-folk 
of all ages, as well as many hundreds of foreign visitors, 
assembles annually on Holy Saturday to witness this 
curious spectacle, so that the vast space of the cathedral 
itself, the whole of the piazza without, and every roof and 
window that command views of the historic " Carro" 
are crowded with eager sight-seers. The din caused by 
the explosions is terrific, and the crushing of the excited 
but good-humoured crowd is somewhat alarming, though 
accidents rarely happen on these occasions. But on Holy 
Saturday, 1909, two persons were killed by the premature 
bursting of some of the crackers in the Piazza V. Em- 
manuele, whither the car is now drawn for the discharge 
of the remaining fireworks, instead of going so far as the 
" Canto dei Pazzi" in Via Proconsolo, where the con- 
cluding portion of the ceremony was formerly performed. 
Efforts have recently been made to suppress this popular 
and innocent festival, and the accidents of 1909 have 
given an impulse to the movement ; nevertheless, it seems 
likely that this quaint old ceremony will be continued for 
many years to come, if certain additional precautions are 
taken for the safety of the spectators. 

The popular fairs held throughout Lent on each 



THE FESTIVALS OF FLORENCE 307 

Sunday outside the various city gates afford an interesting 
insight into the amusements and manners of the people, 
particularly of the Tuscan peasants, who always attend 
these fairs with their shows and popular attractions in large 
numbers. 



CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BUILDINGS IN 
FLORENCE 

CHURCHES 

TL DUOMO, or cathedral-church of Santa Maria del 
■*■ Fiore, formerly called Santa Reparata, was begun 
in 1294. The original design in Italian Gothic style 
was afforded by Arnolfo di Cambio, who died in 1300, 
when the building was continued by Giotto from 1334 to 
1336, who was followed by Andrea Pisano from 1336 
to 1349. In 1357 considerable alterations were made 
in the original plan under the Supervision of Francesco 
Talenti; whilst in 1366 a commission of twenty-four 
architects was appointed to make yet further improve- 
ments. The triple apse was completed after fourteen 
years of labour in 142 1, and in 1434 the cupola was added 
by Brunelleschi, though its lantern was not completed till 
1456. The beautiful modern fagade by De Fabris was 
erected between 1 875-1 887. 

The Baptistery, or octagonal Church of S. John the 
Baptist, Patron Saint of Florence, the most venerable 
building in the city, is described by early Florentine 
writers as a pagan temple of Mars ; but it is now ac- 
counted a Tuscan-Romanesque structure of the eleventh 
century, and parts of it, such as the western apse, are 
certainly of the twelfth century. The lantern dates from 
the- sixteenth century. 

The Ca?npanile y or Gothic bell-tower of the cathedral, 
was begun by Giotto in 1334, whilst he was employed 
on the cathedral works, Andrea Pisano and Francesco 

308 



CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BUILDINGS 309 

Talenti carrying on the building according to the original 
design, which was finally completed in 1387. 

SS. Annunziata, was founded in 1250 for the Floren- 
tine Order of the Servites, or Servi di Maria, was enlarged 
in the fifteenth century but was much altered in the 
seventeenth century, so that the present building is prin- 
cipally baroque in outward appearance. About 1545 
Antonio da Sangallo designed the handsome portico on 
the piazza, which was finished by Caccini in 1601. 

SS. Apostoli is a small Tuscan-Romanesque basilica 
of the eleventh century, the plan of which served Brunel- 
leschi as a model for his great churches of San Lorenzo 
and Santo Spirito. 

La Badia. — This, the most ancient Benedictine abbey 
in Florence, dedicated to S. Maria Assunta and S. 
Stephen, was founded by Willa, mother of the Count 
Ugo, in the eleventh century. It was rebuilt by Arnolfo 
di Cambio in 1285, and was again almost rebuilt by 
Segaloni in 1625, with the exception of the choir. The 
elegant and conspicuous Gothic tower dates from 1320. 

La Certosa di Val d'Enia. — This important Carthusian 
monastery was founded by Niccolo Acciajoli, and was 
chiefly erected between 1369 and 1394 in the Gothic 
style. It has, however, been greatly altered at various 
dates, and presents examples of every style from the four- 
teenth century onward. 

Santa Croce, the chief seat of the Franciscan Order in 
Florence. It was begun in 1294 in the Tuscan-Gothic 
style from a design of Arnolfo di Cambio. In 1334 
Giotto was made superintendent of the works. The 
uninteresting belfry and the ugly marble fagade were 
added so late as the middle of the nineteenth century. 
In the first cloister, dating from 1300, stands the Cappella 
Pazzi, an elegant Renaissance structure erected by Brunel- 
leschi in 1420. 

San Lorenzo, an ancient basilica consecrated by S. 
Ambrose in a.d. 393, but wholly rebuilt in the Renais- 
sance style by the Medici family in the fifteenth century. 



310 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

The nave was designed by Brunelleschi, who began his 
work in 1425, having first begun the Old Sacristy (142 1- 
28). The celebrated New Sacristy was added by Michel- 
angelo between 1523 and 1529. The cloisters attached 
to this fine basilica are also attributed to Brunelleschi. 
The belfry dates from 1740. 

San Marco, the famous Dominican church and 
monastery. The church, rebuilt by Michelozzo in the 
fifteenth century, was almost completely modernized in 
the seventeenth century. The adjoining Convent with its 
two cloistered courts was restored, or rather rebuilt, by 
Michelozzo between 1436 and 1443. 

Santa Maria del Carmine, the chief Carmelite house 
in Florence. It dates from 1422, but was almost wholly 
rebuilt after a fire in the eighteenth century, the church 
being completed in 1782. 

Santa Maria Novella, the principal seat of the 
Dominican Order in Florence and a singularly beautiful 
specimen of Tuscan-Gothic. It was begun in 1278 and 
completed by Jacopo Talenti in 1350. The Renaissance 
fagade of black and white marbles dates from 1456-70, 
and is attributed to Leon-Battista Alberti. The belfry 
dates from the fourteenth century, and the celebrated 
Spanish chapel in the Green Cloister was erected by 
Fra Jacopo in 1326. 

San Miniato al Monte, an early basilica in the Tuscan- 
Romanesque style, of which it is perhaps the finest ex- 
ample in Florence. It dates from the eleventh century 
with some later additions. The unfinished belfry was 
added in 15 16. 

Or San Michele, of which the lower portion was 
originally a grain-market, was rebuilt in a most elabo- 
rate manner between 1336 and 14 12 in a florid Gothic 
style. 

Santo Spirito, the church and convent of the Augus- 
tinians and the largest church in Oltr' Arno. It was 
erected according to a Renaissance design of Brunelleschi 
on the model of an ancient Christian basilica, and was 



CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BUILDINGS 311 

completed after a disastrous fire about 1487. The 
tower dates from the beginning of the sixteenth century. 
Santa Trinita t the head-quarters of the Vallombrosan 
monks in the city. It was re-erected in the Gothic style 
by Niccolo Pisano (?) in the fourteenth century, but was 
greatly altered by Buontalenti in 1593. It has recently 
been restored with especial care, so as to recover as much 
as possible of its appearance in the fourteenth century. 

PALACES 

Palazzo Capponi, one of the largest and handsomest 
of the rococo palaces in Florence, was built by Fontana 
about 1705. 

Palazzo Corsini, was erected on the site of an earlier 
house in 1656. 

Palazzo Gnadagni) a fine Renaissance structure de- 
signed by Cronaca, dates chiefly from the fifteenth century. 

Palazzo Medici, commonly called Riccardi, and now 
serving as the seat of the Prefecture. Erected about 
1430 in the prevalent Renaissance style by Michelozzo 
Michelozzi for Cosimo dei Medici, the palace was con- 
siderably enlarged by its later owners, the Riccardi family, 
in 1 7 14; but their additions follow closely the scheme 
of the original design, so that from the street it is not 
easy to distinguish the earlier from the later portions. 

Palazzo Non-fi?iito, a fine baroque structure in Via del 
Proconsolo, left unfinished (hence its name) by Buonta- 
lenti in 1592. 

Palazzo Pandolfini, an exquisite little Renaissance 
palace erected from a design given by Raphael about 
1520. 

Palazzo Pitti, commenced by Brunelleschi for the rich 
merchant Luca Pitti about 1440, but never finished 
according to the original design. In 1549 the palace 
came into the possession of the Grand-Ducal family, who 
added greatly to it at various periods. In 1568 Amman- 
ati enlarged and adorned the facade, and in the eighteenth 



312 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

century the two projecting wings were added. The hand- 
some entrance to the picture gallery is modern. 

Palazzo del Podesta, commonly known as the Bargello, 
and now the National Museum. This, the second finest 
Gothic edifice in Florence, was begun in 1250 and re- 
ceived various additions in the succeeding century. The 
whole building has been admirably restored to its original 
condition. 

Palazzo Rucellai, erected about 1450 from a design of 
Leon-Battista Alberti, who here made an early use of 
the classical pilaster combined with the Tuscan rustic 
work. The little loggia opposite, formerly belonging to 
the palace, is of the same date. 

Palazzo Spini-Ferroni, one of the largest and most im- 
posing of the Tuscan-Gothic palaces of mediaeval Florence, 
dates from the thirteenth century and still retains its 
ancient prison-like appearance. 

Palazzo Strozzi, one of the finest private mansions of 
the Renaissance in Italy, was begun in 1489 by Bene- 
detto da Majano, continued by Cronaca (who added the 
fine but unfinished cornice), and was completed about 

i55o- 

// Strozzino, to the east of the Palazzo Strozzi, was 
built about 1460 from a design of Michelozzo (?). 

Palazzo degli Uffizi, a large structure of the late Re- 
naissance, built by Vasari between 1560 and 1574. The 
long corridor crossing the Ponte Vecchio and uniting the 
Pitti and Uffizi Palaces was constructed by Vasari in 
1564. 

Palazzo Vecchio, or Delia Signoria, the principal civic 
palace of Florence, was erected between 1298 and 13 14 
from the designs of Arnolfo di Cambio in the Tuscan- 
Gothic of the period. It was restored by Michelozzo 
Michelozzi in 1434. The courtyard was re-decorated 
under Cosimo I, and the eastern portions of the huge 
building were added under the Medicean Grand-Dukes 
from designs of Vasari, Buontalenti and others, the whole 
palace being completed in 1593. 



CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BUILDINGS 313 

PUBLIC BUILDINGS 

Bridges. — Ponte alia Carraja, dating from the fifteenth 
century, but widened and modernized in 1867 ; Ponte 
alle Grazie^ anciently known as "II Rubaconte," dating 
from the thirteenth century, but widened in 1874 ; Ponte 
Santa Trinita, an ancient bridge rebuilt by Ammanati 
between 1567 and 1570; Ponte Vecchio, rebuilt after a 
flood in 1365 by Taddeo Gaddi (?) and remaining much 
in its original state. 

Hospitals. — // Bigallo, the beautiful little Gothic 
loggia of which dates from 1352-58, and was probably 
erected by Orcagna. 

Spedale degli Lnnocenti, or Foundling Hospital, was 
erected with its arcade between 1419 and 145 1 in the Re- 
naissance style by Brunelleschi, being completed by his 
pupil Francesco della Luna. 

Spedale di Santa Maria JVuova, the chief hospital of 
Florence, was founded by Folco Portinari in 1285, but 
little of the original structure remains. Portions of the 
present hospital date from the fifteenth century, whilst 
the picturesque baroque facade was added by Parigi and 
Buontalenti between 1574 and 161 2. 

Laurentian Library, the, in the cloisters of San 
Lorenzo, was begun by Michelangelo in 1524, and finished 
under Vasari in 15 71. It is a fine example of Renais- 
sance architecture. 

Logge. — The Loggia dei Lanzi, or dei Priori, popularly 
but erroneously attributed to Orcagna, a beautiful arcade 
with lovely Gothic details, was begun in 1376 in connexions 
with the official life of the Palazzo Vecchio hard by. 

Loggia di Mercato Nuovo. a graceful structure of the 
late Renaissance, was built by Del Tasso for Cosimo I 
between 1547 and 1551. 

Loggia di San Paolo, the arcade with Della Robbia 
ornaments, opposite the Church of S. M. Novella, was 
erected from a design by Brunelleschi (?) in 1451. 

Mausoleum of the Medici, or Chapel of the Princes, 



3 i4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

a ponderous domed structure adjoining the Basilica of 
San Lorenzo. It was begun by Matteo Negretti in 1604, 
but has never been completed according to the original 
design. 

Walls. — The city walls remain almost intact on the 
southern side of the river, having been spared when the 
Municipality in 1875 ordered the removal of those on the 
northern side of the Arno. They date from between 
1284 and 1327. On both sides of the river the gateways 
remain in existence, and are of the same period as the walls. 
The finest are perhaps the Porta alia Croce, the Porta 
San GallOy the Porta Romana, and the Porta San Niccolb. 



BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF EMINENT 
FLORENTINES OTHER THAN ARTISTS OR 
SCULPTORS 



i. 



ACCORSO, Francesco (i 182- 12 29), a celebrated 
Florentine jurist. 

2. Albany, Countess of (1752-1824), born Princess 
Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, wife of Prince Charles - 
Edward Stuart, " the Young Pretender," and self-styled 
Count of Albany. This fascinating and talented woman 
lived for many years in Florence, first with her husband 
in Palazzo Guadagni (now San Clemente), and later 
with the poet Alfieri in a house on the Lung' Arno 
Corsini, where she resided twenty years after Alfieri's 
death. Her portrait by F. X. Fabre hangs in the French 
Room of the Uffizi Gallery, and she has an elaborate 
monument in Santa Croce. 

3. Alfieri, Count Vittorio (1749- 1803), a native of 
Asti in Piedmont, equally well known as an Italian poet 
and patriot, and as the devoted lover of Louise Countess 
of Albany. Originally a sympathizer with the liberal 
movements of the close of the eighteenth century, Alfieri 
ended by bitterly satirizing the new French Republic. He 
died in Florence in a house on the Lung' Arno Corsini, 
which bears a memorial tablet, naming him as "principe 
della tragedia ". 

4. Alighieri. See Dante. 

5. Antonino, Saint (d. 1461), the famous Prior of S. 
Marco and afterwards Archbishop of Florence, celebrated 
for his piety and good works. See Antonino, in " Saints 
and their Symbols ". 

3*5 



3i 6 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

6. Aretino, Guido (eleventh century), one of the 
earliest of Italian musicians and the alleged inventor of 
the scale for music. 

7. Athens, Duke of, Walter de Brienne (d. 1356), 
was sent to the Florentine Republic as envoy from the 
King of Naples in 1326. In 1342 he contrived to be 
proclaimed " Prince " of the city ; but such were his 
tyranny and ambition, and so gr.eat the popular indigna- 
tion of the citizens, that in the following year he was 
forcibly expelled and driven into exile. The Duke of 
Athens died in the historic battle of Poitiers in 1356, 
fighting for the French King against the English. 

8. Benedetto da Fojano (d. 1530), a Dominican friar, 
who played a prominent part in the third and last revolt 
of the citizens against the rule of the Medici. Captured 
after the surrender of Florence in 1530, the unfortunate 
man was thrust into a dungeon of the Castle of Sant' 
Angelo in Rome, and there most cruelly starved to death 
by order of the Medicean pope, Clement VII. 

9. Bianca Capello (1548-87), the celebrated 
beautiful Venetian adventuress, who became first the 
mistress and then the Grand-Duchess of Francesco dei 
Medici, second Grand-Duke of Tuscany. Her heavy, 
rather melancholy face, with its masses of golden-bronze 
hair, is well known from the many portraits of her, some 
of them executed by Bronzino. Whilst almost a girl, 
Bianca, who belonged to a patrician family of Venice, 
eloped from her father's palace with a young Florentine 
clerk, named Pietro Buonaventura, who brought his 
bride to Florence, where she soon attracted the Grand- 
Duke's notice. After her husband's murder in a street 
brawl, Bianca was married to Francesco I, and* her 
wedding was accompanied by wonderful rejoicings and 
public festivities, whilst the Venetian Republic openly 
proclaimed Bianca "a daughter of the State". Both 
she and Francesco died suddenly and somewhat mysteri- 
ously together in October, 1587, at the villa of Poggio a 
Cajano. 



DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 317 

10. Bibbiena, Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi (1470-1520), 
a native of Bibbiena, near Arezzo, the tutor and friend of 
Leo X, and a great scholar and diplomatist, well known 
from his splendid portrait by Raphael in the Pitti Palace. 
Bibbiena was the author of the " Calandria," one of the 
first comedies in the Italian tongue, and was the chief 
patron of Raphael, whom the Cardinal was anxious to 
marry to his niece. 

* 11. Boccaccio, Giovanni (1313-75), who was born 
at Paris and died at Certaldo in the valley of the Elsa, 
is one of the most celebrated of those Italian writers 
whose skill and imagination did so much to exalt the 
Tuscan language throughout Europe. He resided at 
Naples, Florence, and other places in Italy and wrote 
both in the Latin and the Tuscan tongues. His chief 
work is the immortal " Decameron," a collection of a 
hundred sprightly tales or " novels," supposed to be 
narrated by a company of seven young ladies and three 
gentlemen at two Florentine country villas during the 
continuance of the terrible plague of 1348. Before his 
death Boccaccio gave public lectures in Florence on 
the text and inner meaning of the " Divine Comedy " 
of Dante, the scene of his lectures being probably the 
Badia. 

12. Brunetto Latini (1220-94), the teacher of Dante 
and the supposed inventor of the terza rima, the metre 
which his famous pupil employed so marvellously in* his 
" Divine Comedy ". Brunetto was the author of a poem 
known as-" II Tesoro," perhaps the earliest work in the 
Tuscan tongue. 

13. Bruni, Leonardo (13 69- 1444), sometimes spoken 
of as " FAretino," a native of Arezzo and a leading 
scholar and statesman of his age. After serving as 
secretary to three popes in succession, Bruni was ap- 
pointed secretary to the Florentine Republic, of which 
he also wrote the history. He was the principal founder 
of the Spedale degli Innocent i. 

14. Capponi, MarcheseGino (d. 1876), the celebrated 



318 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Italian diplomatist and historian, whose monument is in 
Santa Croce. 

15. Capponi, Neri (d. 1457), a Florentine general who 
defeated the Duke of Milan at the decisive battle of 
Anghiari, thereby gaining the whole of the Casentino 
district for Florence. 

16. Capponi, Piero, nephew of the last-named (d. 1496), 
has obtained a great celebrity in Florentine annals on 
account of the bold answer he gave to Charles VIII, 
when that King of France was occupying Florence with 
his army after the expulsion of the three Medici brothers 
in 1494. Snatching the scroll with Charles's obnoxious 
treaty from the hands of the King's chamberlain, Piero 
Capponi tore the document to shreds before the astonished 
monarch, with the historic threat, " If you sound your 
trumpets, we shall ring our bells ! " Capponi's defiance 
of Charles VIII of France forms one of the most famous 
and popular incidents in all Florentine history, and has 
been frequently treated by modern Italian painters. 

17. Cavalcanti, Guido (d. 1300), a Tuscan poet 
extolled by Dante, and a member of a famous Florentine 
family. 

18. Cennini, Bernardo (d. 147 1), the earliest of 
Florentine printers. 

19. Cesalpino, Andrea (15 19-1603), a famous philoso- 
pher and naturalist, who was physician to Pope Clement 
VIII. His advanced views on natural philosophy led 
him to be suspected by his contemporaries of atheism. 
He is said to have been the first discoverer of the circu- 
lation of the blood. He was Galileo's earliest master. 

20. Clement VII, Pope. See Giulio dei Medici. 

21. Clement XII, Pope, Neri Corsini (d. 1740), was 
elected pope in 1730. He was perhaps the most dis- 
tinguished member of a Florentine family which has 
produced several eminent men. 

22. Compagni, Dino (d. 1323), a celebrated chronicler 
and historian of Florence, buried with a monument in 
Santa Trinita. 






DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 319 

23. Dante, Alighieri (1265-1321), the first and fore- 
most of the great poets of Italy, was born in Florence, 
to which city he constantly alludes in his great work in 
terms of mingled love and bitterness. The scion of an 
illustrious family, Dante in his youth conceived a pure 
and tender love for Beatrice Portinari, who died whilst 
the poet was in his twenty-fifth year. But this rapt 
devotion to Beatrice undoubtedly inspired the main idea 
of Dante's masterpiece in the Tuscan language, the 
11 Divine Comedy," with its three divisions of Hell, 
Purgatory, and Heaven. In 1291 Dante married Gemma 
Donati, a daughter of one of the leading Florentine 
families, and he filled the high office of Prior in 1300. 
Apparently during his absence in Rome as ambassador of 
the Republic to Pope Boniface VIII, the poet was exiled 
from his beloved Florence by the victorious party of the 
"Neri" in 1301, and was thereby forced to spend the 
remaining twenty years of his existence in aimless wander- 
ing throughout the towns of Italy, vainly hoping for the 
restoration of the party of the " Bianchi " in Florence. 
He died in 132 1 at Ravenna, where his tomb is jealously 
guarded by the citizens, who have always refused to restore 
the great poet's ashes to the city which treated him so 
cruelly during his stormy lifetime. To his memory have 
been erected the huge modern cenotaph in Santa Croce 
and also the heavy monument before the same church. 
The so-called " Casa di Dante," a small mediaeval 
dwelling-house near the little Church of San Martino at 
the back of the Badia, which bears the misleading in- 
scription over its door, Qui ?iacque il Divino Poeta, is in 
reality a fraud, for it never was the poet's home. Of 
the contemporary portraits of Dante preserved in Florence, 
the most interesting is that by Giotto contained in the 
frescoes of the chapel in the Bargello. 

24. Farinata degli Uberti (d. 1 264), a famous leader 
of the Ghibelline party, who with the help of King 
Manfred of Naples utterly overwhelmed the Florentine 
Guelfs at the battle of Montaperto in 1260. On this 



3 2o FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

occasion Farinata degli Uberti, although since 1250 an 
exile from the city, bluntly refused to carry out the 
brutal and revengeful proposal of the Ghibellines to raze 
Florence and transplant its inhabitants to Empoli. 
Farinata's chivalry has been extolled by Dante, and his 
statue decorates the arcades of the Uffizi. 

25. Ferrucci, Francesco (d. 15 30), a brave Florentine 
general and a member of a distinguished House, who was 
entrusted with the command of the Republic's forces 
during the last struggle against Pope Clement VII. After 
recapturing Volterra from the Imperialists, Ferrucci was 
finally slain, not without suspicion of treachery on the 
part of his brother commander, Malatesta Baglioni, at 
the battle of Gavignana, near Pistoja. His death was 
a terrible loss to the struggling Republic, which soon after 
capitulated. 

26. Ficino, Marsilio (1433-91), a famous humanist 
and scholar, the intimate friend of Lorenzo il Magnifico. 
One of the earliest of Greek scholars, he translated the 
works of Plato into Latin. His monument in the Duomo 
was erected by special command of the State. 

27. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), the most dis- 
tinguished of Italian astronomers, was born at Pisa and 
at a comparatively early age became a professor in the 
University there, whilst several of his first experiments 
were undertaken on the famous Leaning Tower. Ap- 
pointed in 1609 philosopher to the Grand-Duke of 
Tuscany, Galileo received every encouragement in his 
researches both from the Florentine Court and also from 
persons of influence in Rome, where his discovery of the 
telescope was demonstrated in the Quirinal Gardens in 
161 1. Before long, however, Galileo's exposure of the 
false reasoning of the old Aristotelian system, which the 
Florentine astronomer expressed in unnecessarily violent 
language, brought upon him the enmity of the In- 
quisition. In spite of the protection of the Grand-Ducal 
Court and the personal friendship of Pope Urban VIII, 
the great scientist was forced to make public denial 



r 



DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 321 

of his recently propounded theories before the Inquisition 
in Rome. On this occasion the discomfited astronomer 
is said to have whispered audibly the historic sentence, 
" Eppur si muove ! " whilst he was formally denying the 
theory of the revolutions of the earth. After some years 
spent in semi-exile in a villa at Arcetri, he returned to 
Florence, where he died at the age of seventy-seven, 
blind in both eyes and deaf. 

28. Guicciardini, Francesco (1482-1540), the greatest 
of Florentine historians. A member of a wealthy and 
eminent Florentine family owning several palaces in 
Oltr' Arno, Guicciardini was a political follower of the 
Medici, and under Leo X was promoted to be governor 
of Modena and Reggio, until those States were lost to the 
Church. He is chiefly famous for his lengthy but valu- 
able " History of Italy," in which he speaks out his mind 
in an open manner concerning the great personages of his 
day. His " Counsels and Reflections," a series of 
aphorisms and anecdotes, is also a popular work of this 
great writer. 

29. Hawkwood, Sir John (d. 1393), although an Eng- 
lish soldier of fortune and a native of Essex, is closely 
connected with the history of Florence, which he served 
as a condottiere, or paid commander, to the great satisfac- 
tion of the city. Known as " Giovanni Acuto," this 
English leader, the first great general of modern times 
according to Hallam, died in Florence and was given a 
magnificent funeral by the citizens, who were loth to re- 
store his body to his native country. The well-known 
fresco by Paolo Uccello in the Duomo perpetuates his 
memory in Florence. 

30. Landini, Cristoforo (1425-1504), a humanist and 
celebrated commentator on the works of Dante. 

31. Leo X. See Giovanni dei Medici. 

32. Leo XI, Alessandro dei Medici (1533- 1604), a 
distant connexion of the ruling Florentine House, who 
was made Archbishop of Florence, and in April, 1604, was 
chosen pope, but only survived his election one month. 



322 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

33. Machiavelli, Niccolo (1469-152 7), the greatest 
political scientist of the Italian Renaissance, whose chief 
work, "The Prince," is still recognized and studied as an 
unsurpassed political treatise. Born of a noble but in- 
digent family, the early life of Machiavelli remains in 
almost impenetrable obscurity, and it is only after the 
expulsion of the Medici in 1494 that this great thinker 
comes to the front in a subordinate and moderately paid 
post under the Gonfaloniere Soderini. Machiavelli served 
the Florentine Republic with skill and devotion until the 
restoration of the Medici in 1512, when in spite of a fierce 
effort to gain the goodwill and confidence of the victorious 
Medici, the ex-secretary of the Republic was condemned 
to retire to his small villa at San Casciano, some miles 
out of the Porta Romana. Here in semi-banishment and 
in grievous poverty Machiavelli completed his " Prince," 
which he ultimately dedicated to Lorenzo dei Medici, 
nephew of Leo X, whose patronage the writer was still 
striving all he could to obtain. Under the governorship 
of Cardinal Giulio dei Medici, afterwards Pope Clement 
VII, Machiavelli was permitted to return to Florence, 
where he soon became a prominent member of the 
Florentine Academy which met to lecture and discuss in 
the Oricellari Gardens near the Prato Gate. But he 
never succeeded in winning the complete confidence of 
the suspicious Medici. He died in Florence shortly 
after the sack of Rome and the proclamation of the last 
Florentine Republic in 1527. In spite of prejudice and 
misrepresentation, Machiavelli must rank not only as the 
greatest but also as the most honest and honourable of 
all Italian politicians of the Renaissance, and his influence 
on modern Italian thought remains extraordinarily strong 
and active. 

34. Mascagni, PaoIo (1732-1815), great physiologist 
and writer on anatomy. 

35. Medici. — Alessandro dei (1513-37), first Duke of 
Florence. He was the reputed son of Lorenzo II, Duke 
of Urbino, and, therefore, half-brother to Queen Catherine 



DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 323 

de Medicis of France ; but historians are more inclined 
to believe him the illegitimate son of Giulio dei Medici, 
who afterwards became Pope Clement VII. After the 
fall of the Republic in 1530, Alessandro was, by the united 
influence of Pope Clement and the Emperor Charles V, 
declared Duke of Florence, a position which he held till 
the year 1537, when he was murdered in a room of the 
Palazzo Medici by his distant kinsman, Lorenzino dei 
Medici, under peculiarly horrible circumstances. This 
arrogant and unpopular but able tyrant married Margaret 
of Parma, natural daughter of Charles V and died without 
heirs. In him expired the last direct male descendant 
of Cosimo il Vecchio. 

36. Alessandro dei. See Leo XI. 

37. Catherine de Medicis (1519-89), the celebrated 
Queen of France, was the only child and heiress of 
Lorenzo dei Medici, Duke of Urbino, and great-niece of 
Leo X. She spent her childhood in Florentine convents, 
but under the auspices of Clement VII she was wedded 
in 1533 to Henry of Orleans, second son of Francis I of 
France, who ultimately succeeded to the French throne 
as Henry II. She was the mother of three Kings of 
France — Francis II (who married Mary Queen of Scots), 
Charles IX, and Henry III. The story of her crimes, 
policy, and abilities belongs to French rather than to 
Florentine history, though she was the ultimate heiress 
and representative of the senior branch of her House. 

38. Cosimo " Il Vecchio" (1389-1464), son of Gio- 
vanni dei Medici and elder brother of Lorenzo (who was 
the ancestor of the junior or Grand-Ducal branch of the 
House). As the first citizen of Florence by reason of 
his immense wealth, his unique ability and his artistic 
patronage, Cosimo (in spite of one downfall in 1433 when 
he was temporarily imprisoned in the Palace of the 
Signoria) was for thirty-four years practically the sole master 
of the Republic, and though an uncrowned monarch one of 
the most powerful rulers in Italy. Popular notwithstand- 
ing his tyranny, Cosimo was sincerely mourned at his 



3 2 4 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

death by the Florentines, who bestowed on this great 
founder of the Medici dynasty the title of Pater Patriae, 
which is engraved on his tomb before the high altar of 
San Lorenzo. 

39. Cosimo I (1519-75), second Duke of Florence 
and first Grand-Duke of Tuscany, was the son of Giovanni 
" delle Bande Nere," by his wife Maria Salviati, grand- 
daughter of Lorenzo il Magnifico and niece of Leo X. 
A statesman of singular ability though of tyrannical in- 
stincts, he was raised to power chiefly through the influence 
of the Emperor Charles V, obtaining both the dukedom 
of Florence and the lordship of Siena, whilst in 1569 he 
received the papal investiture as Grand-Duke of Tuscany. 
He ranks as one of the ablest, and certainly as the most 
successful, of Florentine statesmen. As a munificent 
patron of art, he extended his bounty to Cellini, Vasari, 
Ammanati, and all the later artists of the Renaissance. 
By his marriage with Eleonora of Toledo, Cosimo I had 
a large family, of which two sons ascended the Grand- 
Ducal throne, Francesco I (d. 1587), and Ferdinand I 
(d. 1608). 

40. Giovanni (1475-1521), second son of Lorenzo il 
Magnifico, was from his infancy intended for a career 
in the Church and at thirteen was created a cardinal 
by Innocent VIII. Together with his brothers Piero II 
and Giuliano he was exiled in 1494. After various 
misfortunes, Giovanni, as the acknowledged head of 
his House, was able in 15 12 to re-enter Florence as 
its practical master, whilst in the following year he was 
chosen pope under the title of Leo X in succession to 
the terrible Julius II. His reign was distinguished by 
generous patronage of art and learning, but Leo's court, 
if brilliant and cultivated, was perhaps the most corrupt 
in the annals of the secular papacy. Leo himself was 
a typical Florentine — extravagant, learned, fond of art, 
fond of amusement, and fond even of buffoonery. He 
only twice visited Florence during his pontificate, once 
in the autumn of 15 15 on his way to meet Francis I 



DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 325 

of France at Bologna (an incident commemorated in 
Vasari's large fresco in the Palace of the SignorVa), and 
again in the same year on his return from Bolo/gna, when 
he spent several weeks in his native city. /Leo lived to 
see himself the last legitimate male of h^s House, and 
died suddenly in Rome at the early age of 46. 

41. Giovanni delle Bande Nere (1500-27), son of 
Giovanni dei Medici and of Catherine Sforza, his wife, a 
member of the junior branch of the Medici and father 
of the first Grand-Duke of Tuscany. He was a rough 
but gallant soldier, whose valour and skill might possibly 
have saved Rome from the army of the Constable of 
Bourbon in 1527, had he not been slain in a skirmish on 
the Mincio during the advance of the German landsknechts 
into Lombardy. 

42. Giulio (1478-1534), natural son of Giuliano the 
Elder, who was slain in the Pazzi Conspiracy. Adopted 
by his uncle Lorenzo il Magnifico, Giulio followed the 
fortunes of his elder cousin Giovanni, afterwards Pope 
Leo X, who in 15 15 created him a cardinal and declared 
him legitimate. He resided in the city as Governor 
of Florence and its virtual master from 1519 to 1523, 
during which period he showed much clemency and 
tact. Elected pope as Clement VII in 1523, his reign 
is distinguished as one of the most disastrous in the 
whole annals of the Papacy. His harsh treatment of 
Florence and her ancient liberties after the siege in 1530 
and his policy in favour of the young tyrant Alessandro 
dei Medici have ever made his name odious to the 
Florentines. He never once visited Florence after his 
elevation to the papacy, and the city contains few me- 
morials of this celebrated but cordially hated member of 
the House of Medici, who died unlamented and des- 
pised in Rome in 1534. 

43. Lorenzo il Magnifico (1450-92), the most 
famous and versatile of all the Medici, was the son of 
Piero " II Gottoso " and grandson of the wise Cosimo 
" Pater Patriae ". Scholar, diplomatist, poet, banker, 



326 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

tyrant, humanist, Lorenzo is undoubtedly one of the most 
remarkable of the great men produced by the Italian 
Renaissance. He was complete master of Florence, 
hiding skilfujly his firm despotism under a mask of 
geniality, whilst his lavish splendour and his patronage 
of art blinded all men to his various failings. By his wife, 
Clarice OTSJmi, he was the father of Piero II (expelled in 
1494), cof Leo X, and of Giuliano the Younger. Lorenzo 
died a*c his villa at Careggi before he had passed his 
forty-second year, being attended in his dying moments 
by the great preacher Savonarola. 

44. Michele di Lando, a poor Florentine wool- 
comber, celebrated as the leader of the " Ciompi " in 
1378, and afterwards Gonfaloniere of Florence. 

45. Micheli, Pietro Antonio (1679-1737). Eminent 
botanist. 

46. Petrarca, Francesco, commonly known as Petrarch 
(1304-74), the second great poet of Italy, ranking 
only below Dante, spent much of his life at Avignon, 
then the seat of the papal court. It was here that he 
met with the lady Laura de Noves, whom he has im- 
mortalized in his beautiful sonnets. After many years 
of residence at Avignon and Vaucluse, the poet returned 
to his native Italy, where he spent the remainder of 
his life, honoured and well employed. 

47. Pico della Mirandola (1463-94), a hand- 
some young prince who was one of the chief intellec- 
tual lights of his age. An ardent student of the Greek 
classics, the young Prince of Mirandola was a promi- 
nent member of the brilliant and cultured court of 
Lorenzo dei Medici. He died a few days after the 
entrance of Charles VIII into Florence, whilst still only 
in his thirty-second year. 

48. Poliziano, Angelo, commonly called Politian 
(1454-94), a great poet, scholar, and humanist, who 
was chosen by Lorenzo dei Medici as tutor for his 
children. 

49. Portinari, Folco, (d. 1288), celebrated as the 



DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 327 

founder of the great hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in 
Florence, and as the father of the Beatrice beloved and 
sung by Dante. His monument is to be seen in the 
Church of S. Egidio adjoining the hospital of his own 
foundation. 

50. Pulci, Luigi (1431-87), a poet and a member of 
the great Lorenzo's brilliant court. His principal work 
is the " Morgante ". 

51. Redi, Francesco (1626-97), poet and scientist. 

52. Rucellai, Bernardo (fifteenth century), was a 
prominent scholar, patron of artistic enterprise, and a 
founder of the Platonic Academy, which used to meet 
in the Oricellari Gardens. He married Nannina dei 
Medici, sister of Lorenzo il Magnifico. 

His son, Giovanni Rucellai, wrote the " Rosmunda," 
one of the earliest Italian works produced in blank verse. 

53. Savonarola, Girolamo (1452-98), a native of 
Ferrara and a Dominican friar, who entered the famous 
Florentine Convent of San Marco in 1489, and ere long 
became prior. Here he soon attained to influence and 
popularity through his vigorous and rousing sermons, 
whilst he set himself quietly but firmly to oppose the tyran- 
nical methods of Lorenzo il Magnifico, although the latter 
did all in his power to propitiate him. After the expulsion 
of the three Medici princes in 1494, Savonarola became 
for a brief period practical dictator of Florence, control- 
ling its excitable people by his eloquence, and imposing 
a severe moral rule over the city, which seems to have 
regarded the Prior of San Marco as a sort of prophetic 
and judicial president of the newly restored republic. 
He had, however, many bitter enemies, who were by no 
means confined to the Palleschi, or Medicean party, and 
ere long he fell from power. Dragged forcibly from San 
Marco by the mob, he was imprisoned in the Palazzo 
Vecchio, tortured, tried, and finally executed with two 
of his friars, FraDomenico and Fra Silvestro, on 23 May, 
1498. His powers, his policy, and his sincere but narrow 
piety have been variously estimated by historians, and 



328 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

the story of his career still affords ground for historical 
controversy. 

54. Soderini, Piero (d. 1522), the only " Perpetual Gon- 
faloniere " of Florence, a post somewhat akin to that of a 
Venetian doge, which was conferred on him in 1502. An 
honest man and a sincere patriot, he was without tact or 
genius, so that he was easily dismissed from office on 
the approach of the victorious Medici in 15 12, when he 
fled oversea to Ragusa, but later made his peace with 
Leo X. 

55. Soderini, Cardinal Francesco, brother of the above, 
was ever a bitter opponent of the Medici, and became 
implicated in a conspiracy against the life of Leo X 
in 1517. He died in 1523, after strongly opposing the 
election of Giulio dei Medici, Pope Clement VII. 

56. Strozzi, Filippo (1488-1538), banker, scholar, 
diplomatist, and patron of art, was the son of the Filippo 
Strozzi who erected the famous Strozzi Palace. By his 
marriage with the proud Clarice dei Medici, daughter of 
Piero II and niece of Leo X, Strozzi became closely 
allied with the paramount family, and supported the 
tyrannical government of Alessandro, a circumstance 
which did not prevent his intriguing later against the 
Grand- Duke Cosimo I, by whom he was eventually 
imprisoned in the new Florentine citadel, now known as 
the Fortezza da Basso, of which he had himself advised 
the erection. Here he died as a captive in 1538, not 
without strong suspicion of having been secretly murdered 
by order of Cosimo I. 

57. Toscanelli, Paolo del Pozzo (1397-1482), a cele- 
brated Florentine mathematician and astronomer, whose 
preliminary discoveries did much to encourage Columbus. 

58. Vespucci, Amerigo (1451- 15 16), navigator and dis- 
coverer of lands in the New World, whose name has been 
perpetuated without solid reason in the appellation of the 
whole Continent of America. In his lifetime he obtained 
more honours and wealth than his contemporary, the 
great Columbus of Genoa. His portrait as a youth in 



DETAILS OF EMINENT FLORENTINES 329 

the Church of Ogni Santi was discovered in 1898 and is 
of particular historical interest. 

59. Villani, the name of three early historians of Flor- 
ence, of which that of Giovanni Villani (12 78-1 348) is the 
most notable. His brother Matteo and his nephew 
Filippo were also chroniclers. 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF THE PRINCIPAL 
PAINTERS WHOSE WORKS ARE MEN- 
TIONED IN THIS VOLUME 

AELST, Willem van. Dutch. 1620-1679. 
Albani, Francesco, surnamed Albano. Bolognese. 
Pupil of Luigi Carracci. 15 78- 1660. 

Albertinelli, Mariotto. Florentine. Pupil of Cosimo 
Rosselli. 1474-15 15. 

Alfani, Orazio. Umbrian. Pupil of his father. 1 5 1 o- 

iS S3- 

Allegri, Antonio. See Correggio. 

Allori, Alessandro. Florentine. Nephew and pupil 
of Bronzino. 1 5 3 5 - 1 60 7 . 

Allori, Cristofano. Florentine. Son and pupil of 
Alessandro Allori. 1577-1621. 

Amerighi. See Caravaggio. 

Andrea d'Agnolo, del Sarto. Florentine. Pupil of 
Piero di Cosimo. 1489-1531. 

Andrea del Castagno. Florentine. 13 90- 145 7. 

Angelico da Fiesole, Fra Giovanni. Florentine. 
Pupil of Stamina. 1387-1455. 

Antonello da Messina. Neapolitan. Circa 14 14- 

1493- 

Bachiacca, Francesco Verdi di Ubertino, surnamed 
II Bachiacca. Umbrian. Pupil of Perugino. 1494- 1557. 

Backhuysen, Ludolf. Dutch. 163 1- 1708. 

Baldovinetti, Alessio. Florentine. Pupil of Paolo 
Uccello. 142 2-1499. 

Bandinelli, Baccio. Painter and sculptor. Floren- 
tine. 1487-1559. 

Barbarelli. See Giorgione. 

330 



INDEX OF PRINCIPAL PAINTERS 331 

Barbatelli. See Poccetti. 

Barbieri. See Guercino. 

Baroccio, Federigo. Roman. Influenced by Cor- 
reggio. 1 5 28- 1 61 2. 

Bartolommeo, Fra di Paolo, surnamed Baccio della 
Porta. Florentine. Pupil of Cosimo Rosselli. 1475-1517. 

Bassano, Francesco da Ponte. Venetian. Pupil of 
his father Jacopo. 1 548-1 592. 

Bassano, Jacopo da Ponte, surnamed II Bassano. 
1510-1592. 

Battoni, Pompeo. Roman. 1 708-1787. 

Bazzi. See Sodoma. 

Beccafumi, Domenico, surnamed II Mecarino. Sien- 
ese. Pupil of Capana. 1484-1549. 

Bega, Cornelis Pieter. Dutch. Pupil of Van Ostade. 
1620-1664. 

Bellini, Giovanni. Venetian. Pupil of his father 
Jacopo. 1427-1516. 

Bellini, Jacopo. Venetian. 1400-1470. 

Benozzo, GozzolL See Gozzoli. 

Berettino. See Pietro da Cortona. 

Berghem, Claes Pieter. Dutch. Pupil of his father 
and Van Gorgen. 16 20- 1638. 

Berkheyden, Gerard. Dutch. 1 645-1693. 

Berlinghieri, Bonaventura. Lucca. Fourteenth 
century. 

Bicci di Lorenzo. Florentine. Pupil of Spinello 
Aretino. 1350-1427. 

Billiverti, Giovanni. Florentine. Pupil of Cigoli. 
1576-1644. 

Bigordi. See Ghirlandajo. 

Bles, Hendrik, surnamed II Civetta. Flemish, 
b. 1550. 

Boateri, Jacopo. Bolognese. Pupil of Francia. 

Bonifazio, Veneziano. Venetian. Pupil of Palma 
Vecchio. 1491-1553. 

Bonvicino. See Moretto. 

Bordone. See Paris Bordone. 



332 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Both, Jan. Dutch. Pupil of Bloemart and Claude 
Lorrain. 1610-1650. 

Botticelli, Alessandro Filipepi. Florentine. Pupil 
of Filippo Lippi. 1447-1500. 

Botticini, Raffaello di Francesco. Florentine. 
Pupil of his father. 1477-152 o. 

Boucher, Frangois. French. 1704-17 70. 

Bourguignon. See Courtois. 

Breughel, Pieter, the Elder. Flemish. Pupil 
of Pieter Cock. 1525-1569. 

Breughel, Jan, surnamed De Velours. Flemish. 
Son of the first named, influenced by Rubens. 1568- 
1625. 

Bril, Paul. Flemish. 1554-1626. 

Bronzino, Angelo. Florentine. Influenced by Pon- 
tormo. 1502-1572. 

Bugiardini, Giuliano. Florentine. 1471-1554. 

Buonarroti. See Michelangelo. 

Caliari. See Paolo Veronese. 

Callot, Jacques. French. 

Canaletto, Antonio Canale, surnamed II Canaletto. 
Venetian. 169 7- 1768. 

Cardi. See Cigoli. 

Carpi, Girolamo da. Ferrarese. Pupil of Garofalo. 
1501-1556. 

Carracci, Agostino. Bolognese. Pupil of Cor- 
nells Cort. 1 568-1602. 

Carracci, Annibale. Bolognese. Pupil of his brother 
Lodovico. 1560-1609. 

Carrucci. See Pontormo. 

Casentino, Jacopo Landini. Florentine. Pupil of 
Taddeo Gaddi. 1310-1390 (?). 

Cavallini, Pietro. Florentine. Pupil of Giotto (?). 
Fourteenth century. 

Champaigne, Philippe de. Flemish. Pupil of Bouil- 
lon and Jacques Fouquieres. 1 602-1 674. 

Chimenti, Jacopo da Empoli. Imitator of Andrea 
del Sarto. 1554-1640. 



INDEX OF PRINCIPAL PAINTERS 333 

I Cigoli, Lodovico, Cardi surnamed. Florentine. Imi- 
tator of Baroccio. 1559-1613. 

Cima da Conegliano, Giovanni Battista. Venetian. 
Influenced by, or perhaps pupil of Giovan. Bellini, d. 

Cimabue, Giovanni Gualtieri. Florentine. 1240- 

I3 02 (?). 

Cleef, Joost van. Flemish. 1491-1540. 

Clouet, Frangois, dit Jehannet. French. Living in 

1475- 

Corot, J. Baptiste. French. 1 796-1875. 

Correggio, Antonio Allegri, surnamed. Parma. 
Pupil of Francesco di Bianchi. 1494-1534. 

Cortona, Pietro, surnamed Da. Florentine. 1596- 
1669. 

Cosimo, Piero di. Florentine. Pupil of Cosimo 
Rosselli. 1 462-1521. 

Costa, Lorenzo. Ferrarese. Pupil of Cosimo Tura. 
1460-1535. 

Courtois, Jacques, surnamed Borgognone. French. 
1621-1676. 

Cranach, Lucas, surnamed the Elder. German. 
Court painter to the Electors of Saxony. 1472-1 556-7. 

Credi, Lorenzo di, d' Andrea. Florentine. Pupil of 
Andrea Verrocchio. 1459-1539. 

Cresti. See Passignano. 

Daddi, Bernardo. Florentine. Pupil of Spinello 
Aretino. d. 1348. 

Daniele da Volterra, Daniele Ricciarelli. Sienese. 
Pupil of Sodoma, Peruzzi and Pierin del Vaga. 1509- 
1666. 

Dolci, Carlo. Florentine. Pupil of Matteo Rosselli. 
1616-1686. 

Domenico Veneziano. Venetian. Early fifteenth 
century. His death, recorded by Vasari, at the hands of 
Andrea del Castagno, is denied. 

Dono. See Uccello. 

Dosso, Dossi. Ferrarese. 147 9-1 560. 



334 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Dou, Gerard. Dutch. Pupil of Rembrandt. 1613 

1675- 

Douven, Johann Franz. German. 1656-1727. 

Dughet, Gaspard, sumamed after his brother-in-law 
and master Poussin. Roman. 1615-1675. 

Durer, Albert. German. Pupil of Wolgemuth. 
1471-1528. 

Dyck, Antony van. Flemish. Pupil of Van Balen 
and Rubens. 1599-1641. 

Elzheimer, Adam. German. 15 78-1 620. 

Eyck, Jan van, so called from his birthplace. Flemish. 
Pupil of his brother Hubert. 1385 (?)-i44o. 

Fabre, Frangois Xavier. French. Pupil of Coustou 
and David. 1 766-1837. 

Faes. See Sir Peter Lely. 

Floris, Franz. Flemish. Pupil of Lambert Lombard. 
1516-1570. 

Francesca, Piero della. Florentine. Pupil of Dom- 
enico Veneziano. 1423-1492. 

Francia, Giacomo Raibolini surnamed. Bolognese. 

d- IS57- 

Franciabigio, Francesco di Cristofano surnamed. 
Florentine. Pupil of Mariotto Albertinelli. 1483- 

1525- 

Froment, Nicolas, of Avignon. French. Fifteenth 
century. 

Furini, Francesco. Florentine. 1 604-1 646. 

Gaddi, Agnolo di Taddeo. Florentine. Pupil of his 
father Taddeo. 1 343-1 396. 

Gaddi, Taddeo. Florentine. Pupil of Giotto. 1300- 
1366. 

Garbo. See Raffaellino del. 

Garofalo, Benvenuto Tisi, surnamed II. Ferrarese. 
Pupil of Lorenzo Costa and Boccaccino. 1481-1559. 

Gentile da Fabriano. Umbrian. Pupil of Nuzzi 
and Otto Nelli. Master of Jacopo Bellini. 1370- 

I4SO- 

Gerini, Niccolo di Pietro. Florentine. (?) 141 5. 



INDEX OF PRINCIPAL PAINTERS 335 

Gerino d'Antonio Gerini. Florentine. Early sixteenth 
century. 

Ghirlandajo, Domenico di Tommaso Bigordi, sur- 
named. Florentine. Pupil of Baldovinetti. 1449- 
1494. 

Ghirlandajo, Ridolfo. Florentine, son of the above. 
Pupil of Fra Bartolommeo and Raphael. 1483-1561. 

Giorgione, Giorgio Barbarelli, surnamed II, on account 
of his stature. Venetian. Pupil of Giovanni Bellini. 
1478-1511. 

Giottino, Giotto di Maestro Stefano, surnamed II. 
Florentine. Grandson of Giotto. 1324-1368. 

Giotto di Bondone. Florentine. 1 276-1337. 

Giovanni da Milano. Florentine. Pupil of Taddeo 
Gaddi. Fourteenth century. 

Giovanni di San Giovanni, surnamed Giovanni Man- 
nozzi. Florentine. Pupil of Matteo Rosselli. 1590- 
1636. 

Goes, Hugo van der. Flemish, d. 1482. 

Gozzoli, Benozzo di Lese di Sandro. Florentine. 
Pupil of Fra Angelico. 1420-1498. 

Granacci, Francesco. Florentine. Pupil of Ghir- 
landajo. 1469- 1 543. 

Graziadei, Mariano. Florentine, d. 1551 (?). 

Grimon, Jean-Alexis. French. 1 678-1 740. 

Guercino, Gio. Barbieri, surnamed II. Bolognese. 
Influenced by the Carracci and Caravaggio. 1 591-1666. 

Heemskerck, Egbert van. Dutch. 161 0-1680. 

Heyden, Jan van der. Dutch. Influenced by Van 
de Velde. 1637-17 12. 

Holbein, Hans, surnamed the Younger. 1497-1543. 

Honthorst, Gerard, surnamed Gerardo della Notte. 
Dutch. Imitator of Caravaggio. 1590-1656. 

Kauffmann, Angelica. German. 1 741-1807. 

Kulmbach, Hans. German. Pupil of Albert Diirer. 
1510-1600. 

Largilliere, Nicolas de. French. Pupil of Antoine 
Gondeau and Sir P. Lely. 16 56- 1746. 



336 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Le Brun, Charles. French. Pupil of Simon Vouet 
and Poussin. 1 619-1690. 

Lely, Sir Peter. Flemish. 1618-1680. 

Licinio. See Pordenone. 

Liotard, Jean Etienne. Swiss. 1702-177 9. 

Lippi, Fra Filippo. Florentine. School of Fra An- 
gelico, Masolino da Panicale and Masaccio. 141 2 (?)- 
1469. 

Lippi, Filippino. Florentine. Son of the above. Pupil 
of Botticelli. 1457-1504. 

Lorenzetti, Ambrogio. Sienese. d. 1448 (?). 

Lorenzetti, Pietro. Sienese. Flourished in the first 
half of the fourteenth century. 

Lorenzo Monaco, Don, di Giovanni. Florentine. 
First half of fifteenth century. 

Lorrain, Claude Gelee, surnamed Claude. French. 
Pupil of his brother and Agostino Tatti. 1600-1682. 

Lotto, Lorenzo. Venetian. Pupil of Giovan. Bellini. 

Lucas van Leyden. Dutch. Pupil of his father. 

I494-I533- 

Luciani. See Sebastiano del Piombo. 

Luini, Bernardino. Lombard. Imitator of Leonardo 
da Vinci. Living in 1530. Pupil and brother-in-law of 
Ghirlandajo. 

Mainardi, Bastiano. Florentine, d. 1515. 

Mantegna, Andrea. Venetian. Pupil of Squarcione. 
1431-1506. 

Mansueti, Giorgio. Venetian. Pupil of Giovan. 
Bellini. Flourished at the close of the fifteenth cen- 
tury. 

Manzuoli, Tommaso, surnamed Maso da San Friano. 
Florentine. 1536-1576. 

Martini, Simone di. Sienese. Pupil of Duccio. 
1285-1344. 

Masaccio, Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone Guidi. 
Florentine. 1 401 -1429. 

Massys, Quentin. Flemish. 1466-1530. 

Mazzola. See Parmigiano. 



INDEX OF PRINCIPAL PAINTERS 337 

Mazzolini, Lodovico. Ferrarese. Pupil of Lorenzo 
Costa. 1480-1525 (?). 

Memling, Hans. Flemish. Pupil of Rogier van 
der Weyden. 1435-1494. 

Memmi, Lippo. Sienese. Brother-in-law and col- 
laborator with Simone Martini. Close of fourteenth 
century. 

Metsu, Gabriel. Dutch. Pupil of Gerard Dou. 
1630-1667.. 

Michelangelo Buonarroti. Florentine. Painter, 
sculptor, and architect. 147 5- 1563. 

Michelangelo da Caravaggio. Lombard. 1569- 
1609. 

Miel, Jan. Flemish. 15 99- 1664. 

Mieris, Frans van, surnamed the Elder. Dutch. Pupil 
of Gerard Dou. 1635-1681. 

Mignard, Pierre. French. Pupil of Simon Vouet. 
1612-1695. 

Mignon, Abraham. German. Pupil of J. Moreels 
and David de Heem. 1640-167 9. 

Minga, Andrea del Florentine. Pupil of Baccio 
Bandinelli. Flourished in the first half of the sixteenth 
century. 

Mor, Antonis van Dashorst. Dutch. Pupil of Jean 
Scorel. 1512-1576 (?). 

Moretto da Brescia, Alessandro Bonvicino, surnamed 
II. Venetian. 1499-1555. 

Moroni, Giov. Batt. Venetian. Pupil of II Moretto. 
1520-1572. 

Murillo, Bartolome Esteban. Spanish. Pupil of 
Juan del Castillo and Velasquez. 1616-1682. 

Neefs, Peter, surnamed the Elder. Flemish. In- 
fluenced by Teniers and Breughel. 15 77-1 659. 

Neri di Bicci. Florentine. Pupil of his father Neri 
di Lorenzo. 141 9-1 491. 

Netscher, Gaspar. Dutch. 1639- 1684. 

Orcagna, Andrea, surnamed. Florentine. Flourished 
in the middle of the fourteenth century. 
22 



338 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Pacchiarotto. Sienese. 1477-1535 (?). Recorded 
by Vasari under the name of Girolamo del Pacchia. 

Palma, Jacopo, surnamed the Elder. Venetian. Pupil 
of Giov. Bellini. 1480-1548. 

Palmezzano, Marco. Lombard. Pupil of Melozzo 
da Forli. 1456, d. after 1537. 

Paris Bordone. Venetian. Pupil of Titian. 1500- 

157°. 

Parmigiano, Francesco Mazzola, surnamed II. Lom- 
bard. Imitator of Correggio. 1503-1540. 

Perugino, Pietro Vannucci, surnamed II. Umbrian. 
Pupil of Bonfigli, Alunno, and Verrocchio. The master 
of Raphael. 1446-1524. 

Peruzzi, Baldassare. Sienese. 1481-1536. 

Pesellino, Francesco Pesello, surnamed II. Floren- 
tine. Pupil of his grandfather Giuliano. 142 2-145 7. 

Pillement, Nicolas. French. 172 7- 1808. 

Piombo, Sebastiano Luciani, surnamed Del. Venetian. 
Pupil of Giov. Bellini and Giorgione. 148 5-1547. 

Pippi. See Giulio Romano. 

Pollaiuolo, Antonio del. Florentine. 1426-1498. 

Pollaiuolo, Piero del. Florentine. 1443-d. (?). 

Pontormo, Jacopo Carrucci, surnamed II. Florentine. 
Pupil of Piero di Cosimo and Andrea del Sarto. 1493- 

r 557- 

Pordenone, Giov. Ant. Licinio, surnamed II. 
Venetian. 15 84- 1640. 

Pourbus, Franz, surnamed the Younger. Flemish. 
Pupil of his father. 1559-1622. 

Pot, Hendrik Gerritsz. Dutch. 1585-1657. 

Poussin, Nicolas. French. Pupil of Philippe de 
Champaigne. 15 94- 1665. 

Puccio, di Simone. Sienese. Flourished in the four- 
teenth century. 

Pulzone, Scipione, surnamed Scipione Gaetano. 
Roman. 1552-1593. 

Raffaello, Capponi, also known as RarTaellino del 
Garbo. Florentine. Pupil of Filippino Lippi. 1466-1524. 



INDEX OF PRINCIPAL PAINTERS 339 

Raffaello de' Carli. Florentine. 1470-15 16 (?). 

Raphael, Sanzio. Roman. Pupil of Perugino. 
1483-1520. 

Rembrandt Van Ryn. Dutch. Pupil of Jacob van 
Swanenburg and Pieter Lastman. 1606- 1669. 

Reni, Guido. Bolognese. Pupil of the Carracci. 

i57S- l6 9 2 - 

Reynolds, Sir Joshua. English. 1723-1792. 

Ribera, Jose de, surnamed Lo Spagnoletto. Spanish. 
Pupil of Caravaggio. 1 588-1 656. 

Rigaud, Hyacinthe Francois. French. 165 9-1 743. 

Robusti. See Tintoretto. 

Romano, Giulio, surnamed Pippi. Pupil of Raphael. 
1492-1546. 

Rosa, Salvator. Neapolitan. Pupil of Ribera. 1 6 1 5- 

J673- 

Rosselli, Cosimo di Lorenzo Filippi. Florentine. 
Pupil of Benozzo Gozzoli. 1438- 1507. 

Rosso Rossi, surnamed II Rosso Fiorentino. Floren- 
tine. 1496-1541. 

Rubens, Peter-Paul. Flemish. Pupil of Otto Venius. 
1577-1640. 

Ruysdael, Jacob. Dutch. Pupil of his uncle Solo- 
mon. 1628-1682. 

Salaino, Andrea. Lombard. Pupil of Leonardo da 
Vinci. 

Sassoferrato, Giov. Batt. Salvi, surnamed II. Bolog- 
nese. Pupil of Domenichino. 1605-1685. 

Savoldo, Giov. Gir. Venetian. Alive in 1548. 

Scarsello, Ippolito, surnamed Lo Scarsellino. Fer- 
rarese. 1551-1621. 

Schi avone, Andrea Meldola. Venetian. 1522-1582. 

Semolei, Giovan. Batt. Franco, surnamed II. Venetian. 
1536-1561. 

Signorelli, Luca. Florentine. Pupil of Piero della 
Francesca. 1441-1524. 

Sodoma, Giovan-Antonio Bazzi, surnamed II. Lom- 
bard. 1479-1554. 



340 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Soggi, Niccolo. Florentine, d. 1554. 

Sogliani, Giov. Ant. Florentine. Pupil of Lorenzo 
di Credi. 1492- 1544. 

Spinello Aretino. Florentine. Pupil of Jacopo di 
Casentino. 1333 (?)-i4io. 

Steen, Jan. Dutch. Pupil of Van Goyen his father- 
in-law. 1626-1679. 

Strozzi, Zanobi. Florentine. Pupil of Fra Angelico. 
1412-1468. 

Sustermans, Justus. Flemish. Pupil of Comelis de 
Vos and Pourbus. 1597-1681. 

Teniers, David, surnamed the Elder. Flemish. 
1582-1649. 

Teniers, David, surnamed the Younger. Flemish. 
Pupil of his father. 1617-1681. 

Tiepolo, Giambattista. Venetian. 16 96 -1770. 

Tintoretto, Jacopo Robusti, surnamed II. Pupil of 
Titian. 15 19-1594. 

Titi, Tiberio. Florentine. 1573-1627. 

Titian. Venetian. Pupil of the Bellini. 1477-1576. 

Troy, Jean Frangois de. French. 1679-1752. 

Uccello, Paolo Dono surnamed. Florentine. Pupil 
of Lorenzo Ghiberti. 1397-1475. 

Ugolino da Siena. Sienese. i26o-(?) 1339. 

Van Ostade, Adriaen. Dutch. Pupil of Franz Hals. 
1610-1685. 

Vasari, Giorgio. Florentine. 1511-1574. 

Vecchietta, Lorenzo di Pietro, surnamed II. Sienese. 
141 0-1480. 

Velasquez, Diego Rodriquez de Silva. Spanish. 
Pupil of Herrera the Elder. 15 99- 1660. 

Veronese, Paolo Caliari, surnamed II. Venetian. 
Pupil of G. Badile and Carotto. 1528-1588. 

Verrocchio, Andrea. Florentine. Master of Leon- 
ardo da Vinci, Lorenzo di Credi and Perugino. 1435- 
1448. 

Vigee le Brun, Mme. Elizabeth Louise. French. 
Pupil of Greuze and Joseph Vernet. 1 765-1842. 



INDEX OF PRINCIPAL PAINTERS 341 

Vinci, Leonardo da. Florentine. Pupil of Andrea 
Verrocchio. 1452-15 19. 

Vinckebooms, David. Flemish. 1678-17 29. 

Vouet, Simon. French. 1590-1649. 

Watteau, Jean Antoine. French. 1684-1721. 

Werff, Adriaen van der. Dutch. 165 9- 1722. 

Weyden, Rogier van der. Flemish. 1400- 1464. 

Zampieri, Domenico, surnamed Domenichino. Bolog- 
nese. Pupil of the Carracci. 1581-1641. 

Zuccheri, Federigo. Roman. 1543- 1609. 



LIST OF EMINENT FLORENTINE ARCHI- 
TECTS AND SCULPTORS 

ALBERTI, Leon-Battista. Architect. 1404-1472. 
Ammanati, Bartolommeo. Architect and 
Sculptor. 1511-1592. 

Arezzo, Niccolo d\ Sculptor, d. 1420. 

Baccio d'Agnolo. Architect and Sculptor. 1462- 

1553- 

Bandinelli, Baccio. Sculptor. A mediocre artist 
who aspired to become the rival of Michelangelo. 1493- 
1560. 

Bertoldo di Giovanni. Sculptor. Pupil of Donatello. 
d. 1491. 

Bologna, Giovanni da, commonly called Gian- 
Bologna. Sculptor. 15 24- 1608. A native of Douai 
in Flanders, greatly patronized by the Tuscan Grand- 
Dukes, Francesco I and Ferdinando I. The last of the 
great sculptors of the Renaissance. 

Brunelleschi, Filippo. Architect and Sculptor. 
1 37 9- 1 446. The famous architect of the dome of the 
Florentine Cathedral, of the basilicas of S. Lorenzo and 
S. Spirito, and of other Renaissance buildings in Florence. 

Buggiano, Andrea. Sculptor. 141 2-1462. Pupil of 
Donatello. 

Buontalenti, Bernardo. Architect. 1536- 1608. 

Caccini, Gian-Battista. Architect and Sculptor. 
1562-1612. 

Cambio, Arnolfo di. Architect. 1232-13 10. The 
original designer of the Cathedral, S. Croce, etc. 

Cellini, Benvenuto. Sculptor, and greatest of 

342 



EMINENT ARCHITECTS AND SCULPTORS 343 

jewellers. 1500- 15 71. Executed many commissions 
for Pope Clement VII, King Francis I of France, the 
Grand-Duke Cosimo I, and other celebrated patrons of 
art. His extremely interesting and valuable Autobio- 
graphy presents a most vivid picture of Italian social life 
in the sixteenth century. 

Ciuffagni, Bernardo. Sculptor. 1381-1457. 

Cronaca (Simone Pollajuolo). Architect. 1454- 1508. 

Danti, Vincenzo. Sculptor. 1530-1576. 

Desiderio da Settignano. Sculptor. 1428- 1464. 

Donatello (Donato di Niccolo). Sculptor. 1386- 
1466. The greatest and most popular of the sculptors 
of the early Renaissance, whose memory is still warmly 
held by the Florentine people. He was largely patronized 
and supported by the Medici family. 

Duccio, Agostino. Architect and Sculptor. Fifteenth 
century. 

Ferrucci, Andrea. Sculptor. 1465-1526. 

Francavilla (Pierre de Francheville). Sculptor. 
1 548- 16 1 8. A Fleming from Cambrai and pupil of 
Gian-Bologna. 

Ghiberti, Lorenzo, Sculptor. 1378-1455. One of 
the greatest masters in bronze. His finest and most 
popular works are the bronze doors of the Baptistery. 

Giovanni dall' Opera (Giovanni Bandini). Sculptor. 
Sixteenth century. The chief pupil of Bandinelli. 

Majano, Benedetto da. Architect and Sculptor. 
1442-1497. 

Majano, Giuliano da. Architect. Brother of the 
above. 1432-1490. 

Michelangelo Buonarroti. Architect and Sculptor. 
Eminent also as painter, poet, and engineer. Perhaps 
the greatest, and certainly the most versatile of all the 
Italian artists of the Renaissance. Born at Capresc in 
Tuscany, 1475. I >ied at Rome, 1564. Studied under 
the patronage of Lorenzo dei Medici (II Magnifico) in his 
youth, when he executed some fine pieces of statuary at 
an early age. Laboured almost entirely in Rome and 



344 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Florence. Received many commissions from Popes 
Julius II, Clement VII, and Paul III. In 1529 he 
directed the defence of Florence against his patron 
Clement VII, who subsequently forgave him for his 
hostile action. After Clement's death in 1534 he resided 
chiefly in Rome, where he formed a deep attachment for 
the learned Vittoria Colonna, Marchioness of Pescara. 
In Florence his chief works are the New Sacristy of San 
Lorenzo and the Laurentian Library ; and in Rome the 
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the dome of St. Peter's. 

Michelozzo Michelozzi. Architect and Sculptor. 
1391-1472. The favourite architect of Cosimo dei 
Medici (II Vecchio) for whom he erected the Palazzo 
Medici (now Riccardi) ; and of his son Piero il Gottoso. 

Mino da Fiesole. Sculptor. Fifteenth century. 

Montelupo, Raffaello da. Sculptor. 1505-1567. 

Montorsoli, Fra Giovanni. Sculptor. 1507-15 63. 

Nanni di Antonio di Banco. Sculptor. 13 73- 1420. 

Orcagna (Andrea di Cione). Architect and Sculptor. 
Also famous as a painter. 1329-1368. Executed the 
splendid " Shrine of Orcagna " in Or San Michele. 

Pisano, Andrea. 1 273-1 348. Sculptor. A native 
of Pisa, who executed many important works in Florence. 

Pisano, Nino di Andrea. Sculptor. Son of the above. 
Fourteenth century. 

Quercia, Jacopo della. Sculptor. 13 74- 1438. A 
native of Siena, who also worked in Florence. 

Robbia, the Delia. Sculptors and inventors of the 
beautiful glazed and coloured terra-cotta figures and 
ornaments that are so frequent in Florence. The origi- 
nator of this art was Luca (1399-1482), who was suc- 
ceeded by his nephew Andrea (1437-1528), who was in 
his turn succeeded by his son Giovanni (1469- 1529). 

Rossellino, Antonio. Architect and Sculptor. 1427- 

1477. 
Rosso, Giovanni. Sculptor. Pupil of Donatello. 

Fifteenth century. 

Rovezzano, Benedetto da. Sculptor. 1476-1556, 



EMINENT ARCHITECTS AND SCULPTORS 345 

Rustici, Giovanni. Sculptor. 1474-1554. 
Sangallo, Antonio da, the Elder. Architect. 1455- 

IS34- 

Sangallo, Antonio da, the Younger. Architect. 
Nephew of the above. 1485-1546. 

Sangallo, Francesco da. Sculptor. 1 494-1 576. 

Sangallo, Giuliano da. Architect. 1445- 15 16. 

Sansovino, Andrea da. Sculptor. 1460-15 29. 

Sansovino, Jacopo da. Architect. 1486-1570. 

Tacca, Pietro. Sculptor. Pupil of Gian-Bologna. 
1586-1646. 

Talenti, Francesco. Architect. Fourteenth century. 

Tribolo (Niccolo Pericoli). Sculptor. 1485-1550. 

Verrocchio, Andrea. Sculptor. (See under List of 
Painters.) 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 



': 



It 

:J 

THE ensuing list, of necessity very short and imperfect, 
of Saints and their Symbols is presented with the 
object of assisting the visitor in Florence to identify some 
of the more prominent amongst the innumerable figures 
of Saints, Martyrs, Doctors, Confessors, and Rulers of 
the Church which appear in the paintings of the Floren- 
tine galleries and churches. All Saints of a date later 
than the year 1500 — such as SS. Ignatius Loyola, Francis 
Xavier, Filippo Neri, Carlo Borromeo, Aloysius Gonzaga, j r 
and the like — have been purposely omitted from this list, 
which has been compiled exclusively for the identification 
of the various leading Saints represented either singly or 
in groups in the earlier works of the Italian schools of 
painting. For further information on this interesting 
subject, the reader is invited to study the well-known 
works of the late Mrs. Jameson, whose knowledge of 
her subject and charm of description will always stand 
unrivalled in that department of literature which deals 
with the intimate connexion between sacred art and 
sacred personality. 

Agatha. Virgin and Martyr, of Catania in Sicily. 
5 February. Third century. 

Palm. Breasts on a dish. Shears (the instrument of 
her torture). 

Agnes. Virgin and Martyr of Rome. 21 January. 
Slain with the sword about a.d. 300 for refusing to 
abjure Christianity or to be married to a certain Sem- 
pronius. 

Palm. Lamb. Olive branch. 

346 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 347 

Ambrose. One of the four Latin Fathers of the 
Church, Bishop and Patron Saint of Milan. 4 April. 
Died a.d. 397. A native of Gaul, S. Ambrose as Bishop 
of Milan became one of the most successful champions 
of the Catholics against the Arian heresy. His courageous 
refusal to allow the Emperor Theodosius to enter the 
cathedral of Milan, on account of his late massacre at 
Thessalonica, has been highly praised by Gibbon and 
other historians, and has often supplied a theme for 
artists. 

Episcopal robes. Books at feet or in hand. A scourge 
in hand. Sometimes a bee-hive beside him (a symbol 
of his eloquence, which was foretold by a swarm of bees 
at his cradle). Two human bones. 

Andrea Corsini. A member of the distinguished 
Florentine family. 4 February. Died 1373. As Bishop 
of Fiesole his memory is recalled at Fiesole and in the 
Carmine Church at Florence, where his gorgeous chapel 
is noticeable. 

Episcopal robes. 

Andrew, the Apostle. 30 November. Patron Saint 
of Scotland and Russia. 

An aged man with the transverse cross, or " Cross of 
S. Andrew," of his martyrdom. 

Anna. 26 July. The mother of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary and the wife of Joachim. Joachim and Anna are 
frequently represented together in such subjects as the 
Meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate, the 
Birth of the Virgin, etc. S. Anna also appears in 
Raphael s beautiful Holy Family, known as L Impannata, 
in the Pitti Palace. 

Both are represented as aged, and S. Anna usually 
wears a long white veil. 

Anthony. The Abbot (Antonio Abbas) of Egypt. 
17 January. Fourth century. Patron Saint of animals. 
Lived to a great age as a hermit in the desert, together 
with the anchorite Paul, subsisting largely on the bread 
brought for his sustenance by a raven. The temptation 



348 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

of this Hermit-Saint by the Devil and his evil angels 
forms a favourite subject in art, especially with the Dutch 
and Flemish painters. 

Crutch. Pig. Bell. A burning hearth. 

Anthony of Padua. 13 June. Died 1231. (Not to 
be confused with the former.) This popular Saint was 
Portuguese by birth and a member of the Order of S. 
Francis. He resided in Padua during the reign of the 
tyrant Ezzelino, and after his death and canonization the 
splendid church bearing his name was erected in that town. 

Franciscan habit. He holds the Christ- Child in his 
arms, or watches Him seated on a book. Flame of fire 
in hand or on breast. 

Antonino. 10 May. Died 1461. "The good 
Archbishop of Florence." Antonino Pierozzi was born in 
1389 and became a Dominican friar at Fiesole. His 
genuine piety, his unique powers of charitable organiza- 
tion and his foundation of the Buonomini di San Martino, 
entitle him to rank amongst the great Florentines of the 
Quattro- cento. His undoubted talents and virtues were 
much appreciated by Cosimo dei Medici, and in 1446 
he was, at the suggestion of Fra Angelico, appointed 
Archbishop of Florence, a post which he filled with emi- 
nent satisfaction to the citizens, who deeply regretted his 
death. Many relics of him are preserved in the Church 
and Convent of San Marco, including his death-mask. 

An aged man in episcopal robes, or in the Dominican 
habit. 

Augustine. 28 August. One of the Four Fathers of 
the Latin Church. The son of S. Monica (who is often 
represented in art with her more famous son, as in Ary 
Scheffer's celebrated picture), Augustine became Bishop 
of Hippo in Africa. His writings are celebrated, notably 
his " Confessions " and " City of God ". The legend of 
S. Augustine meditating on the mystery of the Trinity 
and the Child on the shore has frequently been treated in 
art, a large painting of this beautiful story existing in the 
sacristy of Santo Spirito, 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 349 

Episcopal robes. Books in hand or at feet. A flam- 
ing heart in hand. 

Barbara. Virgin and Martyr. 4 December. Fourth 
century. The patroness of soldiers, who still receive a 
holiday on her festival in Italy. According to her legend, 
her father Dioscurus imprisoned her in a tower, and 
eventually beheaded her with a sword on account of her 
faith. 

Tower. Chalice and wafer. Feather. Sword. 
Crown. Palm. 

Barnabas, ii June. "The Son of Consolation." 

The scroll of the Gospel of S. Matthew, which Barna- 
bas carried with him on his missionary labours in Italy and 
which was found intact in his tomb. 

Bartholomew, the Apostle and Martyr. 24 August. 

Knife. He sometimes bears on his arm his own skin, 
as in the " Last Judgment " of Michelangelo in the Sistine 
Chapel. 

Benedict. 21 March. Died 543. The founder of 
the Benedictine Order. Born at Spoleto and educated 
in Rome. Spent a long time in retreat at Subiaco, and 
personally founded the famous monastery of Monte 
Cassino, the cradle of the new Order, in which the Saint 
died. 

Benedictine habit. Broken cup with an asp. Raven 
with a roll in its beak. 

Bernard of Clairvaux. 20 August. Died 1153. 
Founder of the Cistercian Order of reformed Benedic- 
tines. A native of Dijon, he became one of the leading 
personages of his period, and it was at his advice that the 
Second Crusade was undertaken. His famous theolo- 
gical writings were said to have been inspired by the 
Blessed Virgin herself, a legend that has been translated 
into art in the beautiful picture by Filippino Lippi in the 
Badia. 

White habit. Writing-desk with papers and ink-horn. 
Demon bound at his feet. Three mitres (in allusion to 
the three sees refused by him). 



35© FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Bernardino of Siena. 20 May. Died 1444. Fran- 
ciscan friar and founder of the Order of Observants and 
originator of a pawn-house in Siena under the name of 
Monte di Pieta, to preserve the poor from the clutches of 
the extortionate Jews. 

He is almost invariably represented with the sacred 
monogram " I.H.S." encircled by rays of light, a pious 
and marketable device he himself invented for the benefit 
of one of his penitents, a reformed painter of playing- 
cards. He is aged; wears the Franciscan habit; and 
sometimes has near him three mounds surmounted by a 
cross, in allusion to his invention of the Sienese Monte 
di Pieta, 

Bernardo dei Tolomei. Died 1 3 1 9. Founder of the 
Olivetan monks, a branch of the Benedictine Order. A 
native of Siena and a member of a celebrated Sienese 
family. 

White habit. Branch of olive. 

Blaise, or Biagio. 3 February. Third century. 
Bishop of Sebaste in Cappadocia, who suffered death 
through a wool-comber's comb. 

An aged man in episcopal robes, holding the comb, 
the instrument of his martyrdom. 

Bonaventura. 14 July. Died 1274. The " Seraphic 
Doctor " of the Franciscan Order was a native of Tuscany. 
He is said to have been restored to life when a child by 
the intercession of his master S. Francis, who on his 
prayers being answered exclaimed, O buona ventura ! 

The friend of S. Louis of France, the author of many 
works, including a " Life of S. Francis," and a man of 
boundless piety and humility, Bonaventura ranks as the 
chief intellectual light of the Order of S. Francis. 

Franciscan habit with a cardinal's hat beside him. An 
angel with chalice or pyx. 

Bruno. 18 July. Died n 00. Founder of the 
Carthusian Order of the reformed Benedictines, with its 
head-quarters at the Grande Chartreuse. 

White scapular. 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 351 

Catherine of Alexandria. 25 November. Third 
century. Virgin and Martyr, a princess of Egypt, who 
was crushed on the wheel under the Emperor Maximian 
for her adhesion to the Christian faith. Subsequently 
her dead body was conveyed by angels for burial to 
Mount Sinai, an incident frequently treated in art. 

Wheel of torture, sometimes with a man's head beneath 
it. Crown. Palm. 

Catherine of Siena. 30 April. Caterina Benin- 
casa, the daughter of a master-tanner, was born at Siena 
in 1347 in a house still standing and now transformed 
into a shrine to this famous Dominican Saint. Although 
not a professed nun, her extraordinary enthusiasm, her 
shrewd opinions, her able writings, and her political energy 
won her the applause of the Sienese, and indeed of all 
Italy. It was largely owing to her influence and argu- 
ments, advocated in person at Avignon, that Pope Gregory 
XI finally decided to return to Rome, thus ending 
the seventy years of the " Babylonish captivity " of the 
papacy in France. She died, deeply loved and revered, at 
the early age of thirty-three, and was canonized by her 
devoted countryman, Pope Pius II, in the succeeding 
century. Her memory is still warmly cherished in Siena. 

Dominican habit. Crown of thorns. Lily. " Stig- 
mata." 

Cecilia. 22 November. Third century. Martyr 
and patroness of music. A Roman lady of noble birth, 
Cecilia dwelt in a house on the site of the present church 
of S. Cecilia in Trastevere in Rome. Both she and 
her husband Valerian suffered martyrdom for their faith, 
Cecilia being beheaded. 

Organ, often with other musical instruments beside 
her. Wreath of red and white roses. Palm. 

Christopher. 25 July. Fourth century. A pagan 
giant of Canaan known as Offero, who one day consented 
to carry on his shoulders across a stream a weeping 
infant. Despite the smallness of the child and the vast 
strength of the giant, Christopher nearly sank under his 



352 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

burden, to discover the Divine nature of the Child and 
to embrace Christianity on reaching the further shore. 

A giant bearing the Christ-Child on his shoulders and 
fording a stream in flood. In his hand a huge staff or 
palm-tree. 

Clara. 12 August. Died 1253. Founder of the 
Clarissines, or " Poor Clares," the first nuns to follow 
the rule of S. Francis of Assisi. She often appears in 
conjunction with S. Francis. 

Franciscan habit. Cross. Pyx in hand. 

Constantine. Died 335. The first Christian Em- 
peror of Rome. He is usually represented in classical 
costume, sometimes on horseback. 

He bears the labarum, or mystical standard of the cross. 

Cosmo and Damiano. 27 September. Two Arab 
physicians, who embraced Christianity and gave them- 
selves over to healing the sick, until they were beheaded 
on account of their faith. As tutelar Saints of the Medici, 
SS. Cosmo and Damiano are constantly represented in 
the art of Florence. 

Red robes, with red falling hoods. Surgical instru- 
ments and boxes of ointment. Palms. 

Dominic. 4 August. Died 1221. Founder of the 
Order of the Dominican friars. A Spaniard by birth, 
Dominic, or Domenico, laboured in France, Spain, and 
Italy, and was buried at Bologna. His alleged meeting 
with his contemporary »S. Francis of Assisi has oc- 
casionally been represented in art. 

Dominican habit. Star. Sometimes a lily. A dog 
with a torch in its mouth (" Domini Canis "), in allusion 
to the dream of his mother before the Saint's birth. 

Dorothea. 6 February. Fourth century. Virgin 
and Martyr. Beheaded for her constancy to the faith. 

Palm. An angel bearing a basket containing three 
roses and three apples, in allusion to the beautiful legend 
of the Saint, which relates how a young man named 
Theophilus was converted to Christianity by receiving a 
gift of heavenly fruit and flowers after Dorothea's death. 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 353 

Elizabeth of Hungary. 19 November. Died 1231. 
Daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and wife of Louis 
IV, landgrave of Thuringia. The pathetic story of her 
noble life, her devotion to the poor and sick, her affection 
for her generous husband Louis, and the harsh treatment 
of her confessor, Conrad of Marburg, is of surpassing 
interest. 

Royal robes and crown, with the cloak sometimes 
depicted full of red and white roses. At her feet, a 
beggar with sores. 

Eloi, Eligius, or Lo. 1 December. Seventh cen- 
tury. Bishop of Noyon. Celebrated for his miracles 
and skill in metal work. The Patron Saint of black- 
smiths and workers in metal. 

Episcopal robes. Blacksmith's tools, anvil, etc. 

Eustace. 20 September. Second century. Eustace, 
or Placidus, was an officer under the Emperor Trajan, 
who was converted by the apparition of a white stag 
with a crucifix between its horns. (Cf. the story of the 
German S. Hubert.) 

In armour. A stag bearing the crucifix on its head. 

Felicita. 23 November. Second century. A 
Roman matron who had seven sons, all of whom were 
martyred before their mother's eyes, after which Felicita 
herself was put to death. 

Palm. Her seven sons. 

Francis of Assisi. 4 October. Died 1226. The 
ever-famous founder of the Franciscan Order. Born at 
Assisi in 1182, Francis (whose baptismal name was Gio- 
vanni) after some vicissitudes at length obtained the 
papal sanction for his new Order, the fundamental rules 
of which were Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. The 
various incidents and miracles of his life are to be found 
depicted in almost every Franciscan church throughout 
Italy, and notably in the Florentine church of Santa 
Croce. 

Franciscan habit. Lily. The " Stigmata/' or sacred 
wounds that were miraculously imprinted on the Saint's 
23 



354 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

body during one of his lonely vigils in the Tuscan 
mountains. 

Frediano, or Frigidianus. Sixth century. An Irish 
Saint, who visited Italy and became Bishop of Lucca. 
In Florence the well-known church with its conspicuous 
dome on the Lung' Arno Soderini is dedicated to him. 

Episcopal robes. Hammer. 

George. 23 April. Third century. A knight and 
martyr of Cappadocia, familiar as the Patron Saint of 
England. His destruction of the dragon forms the 
most popular incident of his career. 

In full armour. Usually trampling the dragon under- 
foot. Palm. 

Giles, or Egidius. 1 September. Eighth century. 
The legend of his protecting his tame doe from the arrow 
of a pagan prince out hunting occurs not unfrequently 
in art. 

Benedictine habit. Arrow in arm or thigh. Doe at 
side. 

Giovanni Gualberto. 12 July. Died 1073. The 
founder of the famous Order of reformed Benedictines 
settled at Vallombrosa. As a youth he distinguished 
himself by an act of forgiveness of a foe, for which a 
figure of Christ on the crucifix in the church of San 
Miniato bowed its head to imprint on the Saint's brow 
the kiss of peace — a subject frequently treated by artists 
of all periods. This crucifix is still preserved in the 
former Vallombrosan church of Santa Trinita in Florence. 

Grey habit. Always clean-shaven. Crutch. 

Gregory. 12 March. Died 604. Pope Gregory I, 
one of the Four Fathers of the Latin Church, and one 
of the most celebrated names in the early history of 
Western Christianity. Familiar to English people as the 
pope who sent S. Augustine of Canterbury to convert the 
Anglo-Saxons. 

Pontifical robes. The dove (of eloquence). Book in 
hand. 

Helena, the Empress. 18 August. Died 328. Said 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 355 

to have been a British princess by birth. The mother 
of the Emperor Constantine I, and the discoverer of the 
long-lost True Cross of Jerusalem. 

The cross and the nails. 

Ignatius of Antioch. 1 February. First century. 
Martyr and Bishop of Antioch, who was torn to pieces 
by lions in the amphitheatre. 

Episcopal robes. 

Ives of Brittany, or Yvo. 19 May. Died 1303. A 
Breton lawyer of noble family, who used his knowledge 
of the law for the benefit of widows and orphans. 

The robes of a judge or doctor of laws. He is usually 
surrounded by widows and orphans, as in the fine picture 
by Jacopo da Empoli in the Uffizi Gallery. 

James, the Greater. 25 July. Apostle and Patron 
Saint of Spain. 

Pilgrim's staff and bottle. Scallop-shell and wallet. 

James, the Less. 1 May. Apostle and first Bishop 
of Jerusalem, martyred by the Jews, who flung him from 
a parapet of the Temple and killed him with a fuller's 
club, which serves for his symbol in art. 

Jerome, or Hieronymus. 30 September. Fifth cen- 
tury. One of the Four Fathers of the Latin Church. 
Constantly depicted in art, whether alone or in groups 
of other Saints. 

He is always represented old and worn and fre- 
quently half-naked. A cardinal's hat is near him, and 
he sometimes wears a cardinal's robes. Stones. Books 
and paper (as patron of scholars). Lion, in allusion to 
a well-known and popular legend. 

John the Baptist. 24 June. As Patron Saint of 
Florence, the Baptist figures endlessly in the pictures of 
the Florentine school. As a youth he is commonly 
known as " 11 Giovannino," and is so called in the various 
pictures or statues which are of frequent occurrence in 
the Florentine galleries, churches, and museums. 

Hair shirt. Lamb. Cross of reeds or twigs with a 
scroll. 



356 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

John the Divine. 27 December. Apostle and 
Evangelist. 

Eagle. Chalice and serpent. 

Joseph. 19 March. Husband of the Blessed Virgin. 

Lily. 

Jude, or Thaddeus. 28 October. Apostle and 
Martyr. 

Halberd or lance. 

Julian Hospitator, or Giuliano Ospitale. 19 January. 
Fourth century. Patron Saint of travellers and boatmen. 
The so-called " Hospitality of S. Julian " is the subject 
of a beautiful painting by Allori in the Palazzo Pitti. 

Dressed as a youthful cavalier. Hunting-horn. Stag 
behind him. Usually a boat in the background. 

Laurence. 10 August. Third century. Served as 
deacon under Pope Sixtus II, whose almoner he was 
made. Thrown into prison, he converted his jailer 
Hippolytus, who was. himself martyred. He suffered 
death on a gridiron, whilst his body was buried on the 
site of the splendid Roman Basilica of San Lorenzo with- 
out the walls. 

Deacon's robes. Gridiron. Palm. 

Leonard. 6 November. Sixth century. A French 
courtier and afterwards a hermit. Patron Saint of slaves 
and prisoners. 

Deacon's robe. Holds chains and fetters. 

Longinus. 15 March. The Roman centurion who 
was converted on Calvary, and was subsequently martyred. 

Spear. Palm. In classical soldier's dress. 

Louis of France. 25 August. Died 1270. The 
famous Louis IX, Saint and King of France. Reigned 
for forty-four years and conducted two crusades against 
the Turks, finally dying at Tunis. He is known to the 
Mahommedans as Sidi Bou Said. (Not to be confounded 
with the Franciscan S. Louis of Toulouse, also a royal 
Saint.) 

Crown and royal robes embroidered with the fleur-de- 
lys. In his hand the Sacred Crown of Thorns. 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 357 

Lucia. 13 December. Third century. Virgin and 
Martyr of Syracuse. 

Palm. Eyes on dish. Sword-wound in neck. 

Luke. 18 October. The Evangelist and Patron Saint 
of painters, owing to a very early tradition that he painted 
the Blessed Virgin herself. 
\ Winged calf. Picture of the Blessed Virgin. 

Margaret. 20 July. Fourth century. Virgin and 
Martyr of Antioch, who was terribly tempted by Satan in 
the form of a dragon, which she repulsed by means of a 
cross in her hand. 

Treading on a dragon. Cross in hand. Palm. 

Margaret of Cortona. 22 February. Died 1297. 
A penitent of Cortona in Tuscany who was subsequently 
admitted into the Third Order of S. Francis, being led by 
a small dog to the convent door. 

Franciscan habit. Small dog at her feet. 

Mark. 25 April. Evangelist and Patron of Venice. 

Winged lion. 

Martin of Tours, n November. Fourth century. 
Officer in the Roman army, celebrated for his charity. 
Bishop of Tours. 

Episcopal robes. Sometimes as a handsome knight. 
The incident of S. Martin dividing his cloak with a 
beggar is frequently represented. 

Mary of Egypt. 2 April. Fifth century. A penitent 
of Alexandria who expiated her former vicious life as an 
anchorite in the desert beyond Jordan. Here she was 
visited by an old priest named Zosimus, who gave her 
absolution and on her death buried the Saint with the 
help of a lion. 

Old and emaciated, with long hair. Ragged clothing. 
Three small loaves, which, according to her legend, she 
bought in Jerusalem and which were miraculously renewed 
for her use in the desert. Lion. 

Mary Magdalen. 22 July. Patroness of penitent 
women, and presumed sister of Martha and Lazarus, both of 
whom are occasionally introduced into pictorial art with her. 



358 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Long fair hair falling to her feet. Alabaster box of 
unguents. Skull. 

Matthew. 2 1 September. Apostle and Evangelist. 

Angel. 

Matthias. 24 February. Apostle elected to fill the 
vacant place of Judas. 

Axe or sword. 

Michael, the Archangel. 29 September. 

Represented either alone or in company with the 
Archangels Gabriel and Raphael. Michael usually bears 
the sword and scales, and is clad in magnificent armour. 

Miniatus. Third century. A Christian King of 
Armenia condemned to death by the Emperor Decius 
on the site of San Miniato al Monte. He is supposed 
to have been martyred in Florence itself. 

Royal red robes. Javelin. T-shaped cross. Lily. 
Palm. 

Monica. 4 May. Fourth century. Mother of S. 
Augustine of Hippo. 

Commonly represented as the first Augustinian nun. 

Nicholas of Bari, or of Myra. 6 December. Fourth 
century. Patron of children (" Santa Claus ") and sailors. 
He is frequently met with in groups of the more promi- 
nent Saints, and the numerous legends connected with 
his career — notably his resuscitation of the three children 
killed and salted by an ogre — form favourite themes 
with the Italian painters. 

Episcopal robes. Anchor. A tub. Three children 
standing in a barrel. Three golden balls. 

Nicholas of Tolentino. 10 September. Died 1309. 
A Saint of the Augustinian Order, whose birth was 
heralded by the appearance of a brilliant star or comet. 

Benedictine habit. Crucifix wreathed with lilies. 
Star above head. 

Pantaleone. 27 July. Fourth century. A physician 
of Nicomedia, who on account of his skill was chosen to 
attend on the Emperor Maximian. Converted to Christi- 
anity by an old priest named Hermolaus, Pantaleone was 






SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 359 

bound to an olive-tree and tortured in this posture. 
Finally both he and Hermolaus were beheaded. 

Olive-tree. Sword. 

Paul. 29 June. Beheaded 65. The great Apostle 
of the West. 

Sword. Book. 

Peter. 29 June. Died 65. The first of the Apostles 
and traditional first Bishop of Rome. The lives of 
SS. Peter and Paul are sometimes treated in conjunc- 
tion. 

The gold and silver keys. Fish. As first Bishop of 
Rome, S. Peter is occasionally represented in pontifical 
robes with tiara. The Crucifixion of S. Peter, head 
downwards, is also a favourite subject with artist--, 

Peter Martyr. 28 April. Died 1252. Th second 
great Saint of the Dominican Order and the most vigor- 
ous persecutor of heretics in Italy during the thirteenth 
century. He was finally waylaid and killed in a wood 
near Como> his head being cut open with a dagger or 
cleaver. * 

Dominican habit. Knife-wound in head. 

Philip, i May. The Apostle. Said to have been 
crucified in Phrygia. 

Staff, surmounted by a cross. 

Philip, or Filippo Benizzi. 23 August. Interesting 
in Florence as the chief Saint of the " Servi di Maria," 
or Servite Order. He appears constantly in the cele- 
brated frescoes in the church of the Annunziata. 

Reparata. 8 October. Third century. Virgin and 
Martyr of Palestine, Patron Saint of Florence prior to 
1298. Her religious cult in Italy was almost certainly 
introduced by Greek merchants from the East at a very 
early period. 

Banner with the red cross. Palm. Crown. 

Roch. 16 August. Died 1327. Patron Saint of 
the plague-stricken. A noble of Languedoc, who 
laboured much on behalf of the sick and in the founda- 
tion of hospitals. When stricken with the plague, he 



360 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

was supported by a small dog that used to fetch his 
food for him. 

Pilgrim's shell and staff. Small dog by his side. 
Wound in thigh. 

Romualdo. 27 February. Died 1027. The founder 
of the Camaldolese monks, reformed Benedictines. A 
native and monk of Ravenna, he chose the famous 
site of Campo Maldoli in Tuscany for the first house 
of his new Order. 

White habit. Crutch. Always wears a long beard. 

Scholastica. io February. Sister and devoted 
helper of S. Benedict. 

Benedictine habit. Lily. Commonly in company 
with S. Benedict. 

Sebastian. 20 January. Third century. A Christian 
officer in the Roman army, who under Diocletian was 
first tortured by being transfixed with arrows, and after- 
wards executed. 

Arrows. Sometimes bound to a tree. Palm. 

Simon. 28 October. Apostle and Martyr. 

Saw (the instrument of his martyrdom). 

Stephen. 26 December. Protomartyr. Stoned to 
death by the Jews, as related in the Acts of the 
Apostles. 

Deacon's robes. Palm. Stones. 

Stephen, King of Hungary. 2 September. Died 
1038. First Christian King and legislator of Hungary. 

Crown and royal robes. 

Sylvester. 31 December. Died 335. Pope. The 
friend of the Empress Helena and the alleged converter 
of Constantine, whom he is said to have baptized in 
the Lateran Church of Rome. 

Pontifical robes. Ox at feet. Dragon in his hand. 

Thomas. 21 December. Apostle. Among other 
incidents connected with the life and story of S. Thomas, 
that of the Cintola (the girdle which the Virgin gave this 
Apostle and which is preserved in the Cathedral of Prato) 
has frequently been made the theme of Tuscan artists . 



SAINTS AND THEIR SYMBOLS 361 

Carpenter's square or rule in hand. 

Thomas Aquinas. 7 March. Died 1274. The 
celebrated " Angelical Doctor " of the Dominican Order 
was a native of Calabria, who spent most of his life in 
various monasteries in the kingdom of Naples. His 
writings and poems rank amongst the most famous pro- 
ductions of theological literature. 

Dominican habit. Chalice. Star on breast. 

Ursula and the 1 1 ,000 Virgins. 2 1 October. Patron 
Saint of girls. The Ursuline legend is of less common 
occurrence in Italian than in German art. 

Arrow. Banner with red cross. Crown. Palm. The 
Virgins in attendance. 

Verdiana. 1 February. Died 1242. A poor Floren- 
tine girl who fed the poor throughout a long famine, and 
finally became a Vallombrosan nun. 

Benedictine habit. Two snakes, sometimes feeding 
out of a basket. 

Veronica. A Jewish lady, who wiped the face of Our 
Lord on His way to Calvary, the kerchief being afterwards 
found impressed with the True Effigy of His face. 

The Sudario, or miraculous kerchief with the Saviour's 
features. 

Vincent. 22 January. Fourth century. Patron 
Saint of Lisbon. A young deacon who was horribly 
tortured under Diocletian. After his death his body 
was guarded by a raven. 

Deacon's robes. Palm. Raven. 

Zeno. 12 April. Fourth century. Patron Saint and 
Bishop of Verona, said to have suffered martyrdom under 
Julian the Apostate. 

Episcopal robes. Fish suspended from the crozier. 

Zenobius, or Zanobi. 25 May. Fifth century. A 
Florentine by birth, Zenobius became bishop of his native 
town, where he was greatly beloved for his virtues and 
revered on account of his many miracles, which have often 
inspired Ghirlandajo and other Florentine painters. One 
of the earliest of the great Florentines, the memory of 



362 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Zenobius still continues in the city, and on his festival, 
the mediaeval tower still known as the Torre di San 
Zenobio in the Via Por S. Maria is always decked with 
fresh garlands of roses. It is also customary on this date 
for the flower-sellers of Florence to bring their baskets of 
roses into the Duomo and allow them to touch the 
Saint's celebrated shrine ; " Le Rose di San Zenobio " 
being in great request all over Florence on this day. 

Episcopal robes. Tree bursting into leaf (in allusion 
to one of his miracles after death). 



MISCELLANEA 

SUGGESTED PROGRAMME FOR A WEEK'S VISIT 
TO FLORENCE 



Monday. Morning. — Duomo, Campanile, Baptistery, 

Bigallo, Opera del Duomo, 
and Cappella Riccardi. 
Afternoon. — To Fiesole. 
Tuesday. Morning. — Piazza Signoria, Palazzo Vec- 

chio, Or San Michele. 
Afternoon. — Convent of San Marco and 
the Annunziata. 
Wednesday. Morning. — Santa Croce (Church and 

Cloisters). 
Afternoon. — Uffizi Gallery. 
Thursday. Morning. — Santa Maria Novella (Church, 

Cloisters, and Piazza). 
Afternoon. — Pitti Palace and Boboli Gar- 
dens. 
Friday. Morning. — Badia, Bargello. 

Afternoon. — San Lorenzo with the Tombs 
of the Medici and Lauien- 
tian Library. Drive to the 
Church of San Miniato. 
Accademia delle Belle Arti. 
-Drive to the Certosa in Val 

d'Ema. 
All Public Galleries and Mu- 
seums open free. 
Afternoon. — Churches of S. Trinita, S. 
Spirito, and the Carmine. 

363 



Saturday. 

Sunday. Morning. 



Morning.- 
Afternoon 



364 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

USEFUL INFORMATION— HOTELS 

The hotels and pensions of Florence are very numerous, 
and are scattered throughout various parts of the city, 
although the leading ones are chiefly to be found on 
the northern or sunny side of the Lung' Arno. The 
charges at the first-class hotels vary not a little, but from 
1 March the prices at most of them are raised con- 
siderably in anticipation of the tourist season, which may 
be described as lasting from the beginning of March to 
the middle of May. At and about Easter-tide all hotels 
and pensions are filled to overflowing, so that many visitors 
find considerable difficulty in obtaining suitable rooms. 
During the autumn and winter the hotels are compara- 
tively empty, and in summer many of them are closed 
altogether. The prices charged at the leading Florentine 
hotels are usually — breakfast of tea, coffee, or cocoa, with 
rolls and butter, 1 fr. 50 c. to 2 fr. ; luncheon or dejeuner 
a la fourchette, 3 fr. to 4 fr. ; dinner, 5 fr. or 6 fr. Wine is 
never included, is usually dear, and is rarely of good 
quality. Charges for bedrooms with service, electric 
light, and central heating vary according to the size and 
position of the rooms selected, but from 5 fr. to 10 fr. 
may be taken as the customary charge. A bath in bed- 
room, 50 c. to 1 fr. ; large bath, 2 fr. Board- pension for 
seven days, or even sometimes for a shorter period, is 
commonly taken by travellers, and in such cases an in- 
clusive charge varying from 12 fr. to 18 fr. a day for each 
person may be reckoned on. It is of course more difficult 
to obtain moderate terms during the spring season than 
at other times. 

The chief first-class hotels on the Lung' Arno are : 
Grand Hotel, Hotel de la Ville, both in the Piazza Manin ; 
Hotel Grande Bretagne, on the Lung' Arno Acciajoli, near 
the Ponte Vecchio ; Hotel Bristol, Piazza alia Carraja ; 
Hotel d'ltalie, Hotel Florence et Washitigton, Lung' Arno 
A. Vespucci ; Hotel Paoli, Lung' Arno della Zecca Vecchia, 
opposite the hill of San Miniato ; Hotel Victoria et Begina, 



MISCELLANEA 365 

near the Cascine end of the Lung' Arno ; Hotel New York, 
an old palace of the Ricasoli family, in the Piazza alia 
Carraja. All the front rooms of these hotels have good 
views and obtain plenty of sunshine. 

In the town itself, Hotel Savoia, Piazza V. Emmanuele ; 
Hotel Minerva, Piazza S. M. Novella ; Hotel Baglioni, 
Piazza dell' Unita Italiana. These two latter are near the 
central railway station. 

Somewhat less expensive are the following : Hotel 
Anglo- America?!, Via Garibaldi, near the Cascine ; Hotel 
Mila?io, in the Via Cerretani; Hotel du Nord, Hotel 
Helvetia, in or near Piazza Strozzi ; Hotel £ Europe, 
Piazza S. Trinita ; Palace Hotel, Lung' Arno Guicciardini ; 
Hotel d? Albion, Lung' Arno Acciajoli; Hotel Excelsior, 
Lung' Arno A. Vespucci. 

The following Italian houses can also be recommended : 
Hotel Porta Rossa, in a central position near the Via 
Tornabuoni ; Hotel Bonciarii, Via Panzani (near station) ; 
Hotel Centrale, Via Condotta ; Stella d^ Italia (unpretend- 
ing), Via Calzaioli ; Hotel Cavour, Via del Proconsolo. 

Pensions are innumerable, and only a very small 
selection can be mentioned here. Their charges vary 
considerably, the better pensions being in many instances 
as well provided with lifts, electric light, etc., as any 
of the larger hotels. The lowest charge is usually 6 
fr. a day, and pension terms often rise as high as 10 
fr., n fr., and even 12 fr. a day under certain circum- 
stances. 

Amongst the pensions may be mentioned Pension 
Piccioli, Via Tornabuoni, with outlook on the Lung' 
Arno Corsini ; Pension Lucchesi, Lung' Arno della Zecca 
Vecchia ; Pension Chapman, Via Pandolfini ; Pensio?i 
Berchielii, Lung' Arno Acciajoli, etc. 

Other pensions, less expensive, are : Pension White, 
Piazza Cavalleggieri, close to the Lung' Arno ; Pension 
Balestri, Piazza Mentana; Pension Moggi, Piazza dell' 
Indipendenza ; Pension Quisisana, Lung' Arno delle 
Grazie, etc. 



$66 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

On the south side of the Arno : Pension Godkin, i Lung' 
Arno Guicciardini ; Pension Clarke- Molini-Barbensi % in 
the same street ; Pension Innocenti % Piazza Soderini ; 
Pension Benoit, Lung' Arno Serristori, etc. 

Furnished apartments can be rented for the season, 
* and private villas or flats for the winter or spring months 
can often be hired by means of the various house- 
agencies in Florence. 

Cabs, open or shut, the former being comfortable 
victorias, are to be found in most of the squares. Their 
charges are i fr. the course {corsa) to any point within 
the barriers of the city. By the hour, 2 fr. (half-hour 
1 fr. 20 a). After dusk the charge for a course is in- 
creased to 1 fr. 30 c. The tariff for driving in the 
country is usually 3 fr. the first hour and 2 fr. every 
subsequent hour, but the visitor is strongly recommended 
to allow the porter of his hotel to arrange the matter, 
since the tariff varies in certain zones outside the barriers. 
Roughly speaking, a one-horse open carriage ought not 
to cost more than 10 fr. for a full afternoon's excursion. 

Coinage. — The coinage of Italy is very similar to that 
of France, and is arranged on the decimal system of 100 
centesimi to the lira or Italian franc, which is worth about 
iod. of our English money. The coins in common cir- 
culation are the 5 c. (equal to a halfpenny) ; the 10 c. 
(equal to a penny) ; nickel pieces of 20 c. and 25c; 
the lira and the two-lire silver pieces. Coins higher 
in value than a two-lire-piece are rare, and their place 
is supplied by bank-notes of 5 lire and 10 lire, and by 
notes of higher amount of 50 and 100 lire. Bad or ob- 
solete coins are very common, and the unsuspecting 
stranger is frequently made a recipient of them, unless 
he is very careful to count and examine his change in 
every shop, tram, railway station, and cate. 

The Churches are open from daybreak to noon, 
when they are closed. The principal ones re-open at 
3 p.m., and remain open till dusk. The Anglican com- 
munion owns three places of worship in Florence — Holy 



MISCELLANEA 367 

Trinity, the church of the former British Legation, in Via 
Lamarmora, near the Convent of San Marco ; the Ameri- 
can Episcopal Church, at present situated in Piazza del 
Carmine, but which is being rebuilt in Via Bernardo 
Rucellai, near the Cascine ; and S. Mark's, in Via 
Maggio. There is also an English Roman Catholic 
Church, S. Joseph's, in Via delle Ruote, near the Piazza 
dell' Indipendenza, and a Presbyterian Church in the 
Lung' Arno Guicciardini. 

Picture Galleries and Museums are open on week- 
days from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., and a charge of 1 fr. a 
head is made for each visitor, except in some of the 
smaller museums where fees of from 25 c. to 50 c. are 
demanded. A gratuity of 10 c. is expected by the 
officials who take stick or umbrella at the entrance. On 
Sundays the galleries and museums are open free from 10 
a.m. till 2 p.m., duiing which time they are somewhat 
inconveniently crowded. On certain high festivals of 
Church or State the public galleries remain closed all day. 

Electric trams run over all parts of Florence, the 
principal starting-point being the Piazza del Duomo, 
whence also depart the trams for Fiesole and the Viale 
dei Colli. For their times and directions the visitor 
should consult a copy of the " Florence Herald" or 
" Italian Gazette," English papers which are published 
weekly in Florence and contain much useful local in- 
formation of a practical nature. Copies of both papers 
are commonly to be seen in every hotel or pension. 

There are several English physicians residing in 
Florence, and also Italian doctors who speak fluent 
English. There are also good chemists' shops, of which 
only Roberts' British Pharmacy, in the Via Tomabuoni, 
need be mentioned here. 

In the Via Tornabuoni are to be found Cook's Office, 
Humbert's Agency, the banking offices of Maquay & Co., 
and of French, Lemon & Co. The British Consulate 
and the bank and forwarding agency of Messrs. French, 
Lemon & Co. are lodged here in the ground floor of the 



368 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

great Palazzo Spini-Ferroni. The American Consulate 
is close by at No. 10 in Via Tornabuoni. 

Restaurants and Cafes. — Doney, Capitani (both with 
French cuisine), in Via Tornabuoni; Mellini, in Via 
Calzaioli ; Doney, Giacosa, in Via Tornabuoni ; Gilli, 
in Piazza V. Emmanuele and Via Calzaioli ; Gambrinus 
Bier-Halle, Piazza V. Emmanuele, etc. 

Tea Rooms. — Old Albion Tea Rooms, corner of Via 
Strozzi and Via Vecchietti, much frequented by English 
people ; Digerinis, Via Vecchietti, an Italian tea-house 
and pastry-cook's, next door to Vieusseux's Lending 
Library; Olandia Tea Rooms, Lung' Arno Corsini, etc. 

Theatres. — There are several theatres, two music 
halls (the Alhambra and the Apollo), and various halls 
for the cinematograph, the latter being very popular with 
the Florentines of all classes. The chief theatre is the 
Opera House of the Pergola, in the street of the same 
name, where operas are performed at Carnival time and 
other stated seasons as may be seen from the advertise- 
ments in the papers or in the streets. The Verdi, in the 
Via Verdi, close to the Piazza S. Croce, is the largest 
theatre, and opera with ballet is often given here in the 
winter months. The Arena (re-named Politeama), in 
the Via Nazionale, not far from the station, is much 
frequented, and good acting and singing are to be en- 
joyed there at popular prices. Other theatres are the 
Niccolini, in the Via Ricasoli, for plays, and the immense 
Politeama in Corsini Regina Elena over the Cascine, for 
opera and ballets. 

Vieusseux's Lending Library, Via Vecchietti. An 
old-established institution where English, French, German 
and Italian books of every description can be hired at very 
moderate charges. A separate charge is made for the 
use of the adjoining Reading Room. ^ 



MISCELLANEA 369 

LIST OF GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS, PRICES OF 
ADMISSION, ETC. 

Pitti Gallery. (Palazzo Pitti.) 
Uffizi Gallery. (There is a lift; fee of 25 c.) 
Accademia delle Belle Arti. (52 Via Ricasoli.) 
Buonarroti Gallery, or House of Michelangelo. (64 

Via Ghibellina.) 
The Bargello, or National Museum. (Via del Pro- 

consolo.) 
Archaeological Museum and Gallery of Tapestries. (2 6 

Via Colonna.) 
Tombs of the Medici. (Church of San Lorenzo.) 
Museum of the Convent of San Marco. 
Entrance fee of 1 fr. 

Opera del Duomo, or the Cathedral Museum. (24 

Piazza del Duomo.) 
Cappella Riccardi, in Palazzo Riccardi. (Via Cavour.) 
Cenacolo (Fresco of the Last Supper) of Andrea del 

Sarto, at San Salvi. 
Cenacolo di Foligno (at 56 Via Faenza). 
Cenacolo of Andrea del Castagno at Sant' Apollonia. 

(1 Via Venti-sette Aprile.) 
Fresco of Perugino in S. M. Maddalena dei Pazzi. 

(1 Via Colonna.) 
Entrance fee of 50 c. 

Cenacolo of D. Ghirlandajo, in the Cloister of Ogni 

Santi (at 34 Via Borgognissanti). 
Frescoes of the Cloister of the Scalzo. (69 Via Cavour.) 
Entrance fee of 2 5 c. 

Palazzo Vecchio, or della Signoria. Hall of the 

Cinque-cento, Quarter of Pope Leo X, Rooms of 

Eleonora of Toledo, etc. Open daily, 10 to 3. 
Entrance fee of 1 fr, 1 

Palazzo Corsini. Private Palace and Picture Gallery. 

Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 10 to 3. 

Free, 

1 Imposed since the winter of 1909-10. 
*4 



370 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Palazzo Davanzati. Private Palace. Opened to the 

public in 1 910. Fee of ifr. (Lift, 25 c.) 
Palazzo Pitti. State Apartments. Open Thursdays 
and Sundays, Noon till 3 p.m. Free. Boboli 
Gardens open same days, Noon till Dusk. Free. 
Natural History Museum. (19 Via Romana.) Open 
10 to 3. Entrance fee of 1 fr. Tuesdays and 
Saturdays. Free other days. 
Villa Stibbert (at Montughi). Open Tuesdays, Thurs- 
days, and Saturdays, 10 to 4. Entrance fee of 1 
fr. Sundays, 9 to 1. Free. 
Except where otherwise expressly stated in this list, 
the Public Galleries and Museums of Florence are open 
daily from 10 to 4 on week-days at the various charges 
which are given above. On Sundays all Galleries and 
Museums are open Free from 10 to 2. On certain 
festivals of Church and State they are all closed to the 
public; e.g. New Year's Day, 6 and 8 January, Easter 
Day, Ascension Day, Corpus Christi Day, the first Sunday 
in June, 24 and 29 June, 15 August, 8 and 20 September, 
1 and 11 November, 8 and 25 December. But this list 
by no means exhausts the number of public holidays 
whereon the Florentine galleries, etc., are closed. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The following list of books connected with Florentine 
art, history, and literature, out of the vast mass of works 
bearing on these subjects, may prove of service to the 
reader : — 

E. Grifi. " Saunterings in Florence." Firenze : Bem- 

porad e Figlio, 1899. 
C. Yriarte. " Florence.'' London : Sampson Low, 1882. 
Colonel and Mrs. Goff. " Florence." London : Black 

& Co. 1906. 
Edmund G. Gardner. "The Story of Florence. ,, 
London: J, M f Dent & Co. 1908. 



MISCELLANEA 371 

Edward Hutton. " Florence and Northern Tuscany.' ' 

London: Methuen, 1906. 
Edward Hutton. "Country Walks about Florence/' 

London: Methuen, 1908. 
E. Bacciotti. "Firenze Illustrata." Firenze, 1899. 
H. E. Napier. " Florentine History/' London, 1846. 
Prof. Pasquale Villari. " History of Florence. " 1 90 1 . 

"Life and Times of Savonarola." 1897. 

" Life and Times of Niccolo Machiavelli." 

London: F. Unwin, 1898. 
S. and J. Horner. "Walks in Florence." London: 

Smith, Elder, 1884. 
Mrs. Oliphant. "Makers of Florence." London: 

Macmillan, 1887. 
Edgcumbe Staley. "The Guilds of Florence." 

London : Methuen, 1906. 
Rev. J. Wood-Brown. "The Builders of Florence." 

London: Methuen, 1908. 
Herbert M. Vaughan. " The Medici Popes, Leo X 

and Clement VII." London: Methuen, 1908. 
John Ruskin. "Mornings in Florence." 
G. Conti. " Firenze Vecchia." Firenze : Bemporad, 

1899. 
"Firenze dai Medici ai Lorena." Bemporad, 

i9°9 : 
G. Carocci. " I Dintorni di Firenze." Firenze, 1904. 
Janet Ross. " Florentine Palaces and their Stories." 

London : J. M. Dent & Co. 1905. 
E. Armstrong. "Lorenzo dei Medici." New York 

and London: Putnam's, 1896. 
J. A. Symonds. " The Renaissance in Italy." New 

York: Holt & Co. 1887. 

"Life of Benvenuto Cellini." Macmillan, 1905. 

" Life of Michelangelo Buonarotti." Macmillan, 

1901. 
Maud Cruttwell. "A Guide to the Paintings in the 

Churches and Minor Museums of Florence/' 

London: J. M. Dent & Co. 1908. 



372 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

Maud Cruttwell. " Luca and Andrea Delia Robbia." 

London : J. M. Dent & Co. 1902. 
C. G. Leland. " Legends of Florence." London : 

D. Nutt, 1896. 
Mrs. Jameson. " History of Our Lord," " Legends 

of the Madonna/' " Sacred and Legendary Art," 

" The Monastic Orders ". London : Longmans, 

Green & Co. v.d. 
G. Vasari. "Lives of the Painters, Sculptors, and 

Architects. 7 ' Bohn's Edition. London. 1850. 
E. A. Greene. " Saints and their Symbols. 7 ' London : 

Sampson Low, 1891. 
Dr. Doran. " ' Mann ' and Manners at the Court of 

Florence." London: R. Bentley & Son, 1876. 
G. Del Badia. " Diario Fiorentino di Luca Landucci." 

Firenze : Sansoni, 1883. 
Colonel Young. "The Medici." London: Murray, 

1909. 
Francis A. Hyett. "Florence: her History and Art 

to the Fall of the Republic." London: Methuen, 

1903. 



MISCELLANEA 



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374 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 

II.— PEDIGREE OF THE JUNIOR OR GRAND- 
DUCAL BRANCH 

Lorenzo dei Medici 
(younger brother of Cosimo " II Vecchio "), 

d. 1440. 



Pier-Francesco=Laudomia Acciajoli. 



Giovanni (2nd son)=Caterina Sforza. 



Ludovico (commonly called "Giovanni=Maria Salviati. 
delle Bande Nere "), d. 1527. 



Cosimo I (First Grand-Duke of=Eleonora of Toledo. 
Tuscany), d. 1575. 



Francesco I (Second=(i) Joanna of Ferdinando I (Third=Christina of 



Grand-Duke), Austria. Grand-Duke), 

d. 1587. =(2) Bianca Cappello. d. 1608. 



Lorraine. 



Cosimo II (Fourth Grand-=Maria-Maddalena of Austria. 
Duke), d. 1620. 



Ferdinando II (Fifth Grand- =Vittoria della Rovere of Urbino. 
Duke), d. 1670. 



Cosimo III (Sixth Grand-=Margaret-Louise of France. 
Duke), d. 1723. 

Gian-Gastone (Seventh and last=Anna of Saxe- Anna-Louisa, Electress 

Grand-Duke), d.s.p. 1737. Launemburg. Palatine, d.s.p. 1743. 

(The last of her 
House.) 



INDEX 



jciajoli, monuments of the, 

301. 
:corso, Francesco, 315. 
bizzi, Rinaldo degli, 10. 
exander VI, Pope, 14, 256. 
fieri, Count Vittorio, 73, 315. 
ighieri. See Dante, 
nadei, 288. 
ltonino, Saint and Archbishop, 

74, 75, 315, 348. 
rchitects and sculptors, list of, 

with dates, 342-45. 
*etino, Guido, 316. 
.10, river, 24. 
abbiati, 14. 

ists, list of, with dates, 330-41. 
iens, Duke of (Walter de 
Brienne), 8, 244, 316. 

.dIa Fiesolana, 293. 
Alosguardo, 23. 
enedetto da Fojano, 316. 
-anca Cappello, 19, 273, 316. 
anchi, 6. 

Lbbiena, Cardinal, 317. 
gallo, 42, 43. 
©graphical details of — 
Albany, Countess of, 315. 
\lfieri. Count, 315. 
intonino, 315, 348. 
Uhens, Duke of, 316. 
Benedetto da Fojano, 316. 
iBianca Cappello, 316. 
Bibbiena, Cardinal, 317. 
Boccaccio, 317. 
I Brunetto Lattni, 317. 
Bruni, Leonardo, 317. 
Buonarroti, Michelangelo, 343, 
344. 

apponi, Gino, Neri and Piero, 
318. 



Biographical details of — 
Cellini, Benvenuto, 342. 
Cesalpino, Andrea, 318. 
Clement XII, Pope, 318. 
Dante Alighieri, 319. 
Farinata degli Uberti, 319, 320. 
Ferruccio, Francesco, 320. 
Galileo Galilei, 320, 321. 
Guicciardini, Francesco, 321. 
Hawkwood, 321. 
Leo XI, Pope, 321. 
Machiavelli, Niccolo, 322. 
Medici, Alessandro dei, 322, 323. 

— Catherine de, 323. 

— Cosimo "il Vecchio," 323. 
I, Grand-Duke, 324. 

— Giovanni (Pope Leo X), 324, 

325. 
" delle Bande Nere, 

325- 

— Giulio (Pope Clement VII), 

325. 

— Lorenzo il Magnifico, 325, 

326. 
Pico della Mirandola, 326. 
Savonarola, Girolamo, 326, 327. 
Soderini, Piero, 327. 
Strozzi, Filippo, 328. 
Vespucci, Amerigo, 328. 
BoboL Gardens, 28, 264-66. 
Boniface VIII, Pope, 8. 
Bridges (Pontealla Carraja ; Ponte 
alle Grazie ; Ponte Santa 
Trinita ; and Ponte Vecchio) ; 
24, 287-89. 
Brunetto Latini, 84, 246, 317. 
Bruni, Leonardo, 45, .56, 317. 
Buildings of Florence, chrono- 
logical list of, 308-14. 
Buonarroti. See Michelangelo. 
Buondelmonte, 5, 272, 288. 



375 



376 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



Calcio, game of, 54, 84. 
Campaldino, battle of, 7. 
Capponi, family of, 105, 273-75, 

317, 318. 
Careggi, 31. 
Carrand Bequest, 245. 
Cascine, 25, 27, 28. 
Cavalcanti, 318. 
Cellini, Renvenuto, 342, 343. 
Cennini, Bernardo, 66, 290, 318. 
Cerchi, 8. 

Certosa di Val d'Ema, 299-302. 
Cesalpino, Andrea, 318. 
Charles V, Emperor, 16, 17, 299. 

— VIII, King, 13. 

— of Anjou, 5. 

— of Valois, 8. 
Churches and Convents — 

SS. Anunziata, 47-51. 

S. Apollonia, 51. . 

SS. Apostoli, 51, 52. 

Badia, La, 52-4. 

Baptistery,or San Giovanni, 39-42. 

S. Biagio, 273. 

Cathedral, or S. M. del Fiore, or 

II Duomo, 33-9. 
S. Croce, 54-62. 
S. Egidio, 289, 290. 
S. Felice, 62. 
S. Felicita, 62, 63. 
S. Gaetano, 271. 
S. Jacopo sopr' Arno, 64. 
S. Lorenzo, 64-71. 
S. Marco, 73-9. 
S. Maria del Carmine, 80-3. 

in Campo, 296. 

Maddalena dei Pazzi, 83, 

84. 

Maggiore, 84. 

Novella, 84-93. 

S. Martino, 250. 

S. Miniato al Monte, 94-7. 

Ogni Santi, 97, 98. 

S. Onofrio, 99. 

Or San Michele, 99-103. 

S. Pancrazio, 283. 

S. Salvatore, 42. 

al Monte, 93. 

S. Salvi, 103. 
Scalzo, 103, 104. 
S. Spirito, 104-7. 
S. Stefano, 107. 
S. Trinita, 107-9. 



" Ciompi, ' Tumult of the, 9. 
Clement IV, Pope, 5. £) 

— VII, Pope. See Medici, Giuli -> 

— XII, Pope, 275, 318. 
Compagnacci, 14. 
Compagni, Dino, 109, 318. 
Corsini, Bishop Andrea, 296, 34 

— family of, 275. 7- 
Crescentius, 2, 36. 

Dante, 5, 8, 54, 56, 245, 319. 

— Casa di. See Museums. 
Donati, Corso, 8. 

Dudley, Robert, Duke of Northur 
berland, 19, 251, 284. n " 

Eugenius, 2, 36. 

Farinata degli Uberti, 5, 31} 

320. 
Ferruccio, Francesco, 320. 
Festivals of Florence, 303-7. 
Ficino, Marsilio, 35, 320. 
Fiesole, 1, 2. 

— description of, 295-97. 
Florence, Climate of, 32. 

— General description of, 23-31 

— Historical sketch of, 1-22. ' 
Fortezza da Basso, 17, 28. 

— di San Giorgio, 23, 264. 
Frederick II, Emperor, 4, 5. 

Galileo Galilei, 320, 321. 
Galleries, Accademia delle Bt,. 
Arti, 215-35. h 

— Corsini, 276-79. 

— Pitti, 177-213. 

— Uffizi, 111-75. 
Gavignana, battle of, 320. 
Ghibellines, 4-6. 
" Giorno dei Grilli," 303. 
Gonfaloniere, office of, 7, 14. 
Gregory VII, Pope, 2. 
Guelfs, 4-6. 

Guicciardini, Francesco, 63, 3 
Guido of Poppi, 5. 
Guilds, 7. 

Hawkwood, Sir John, 35, 32: 
Henry VII, Emperor, 8. 
Hospitals, S. M. Nuova, 289, s 

Bigallo, 42, 43 ; Innoceh' 

46. 



INDEX 



377 



MPRUNETA, 302. 

I ncontro, convent of, 294. 

ACOPO IL BAVARO, 293, 296. 

Julius II, Pope, 15. 

^AMBERTI, 288. 

l^andini, Cristoforo, 321. 

J .eo X, Pope. See Medici, Gio- 

I- vanni. 

- XI, Pope, 321. 

- ibraries of Florence, 27 ; Lauren- 
L tian Library, 71-73. 

-ogge. Loggia del Bigallo, 42, 
I 43 ; dei Lanzi, 252-54 ; del 
Mercato Nuovo, 290 ; di San 
Paolo, 84 ; dei Rucellai, 283. 

(orraine, House of, Grand-Dukes 
of Tuscany ; Francesco II, 
21 ; Leopoldo I, 21 ; Ferdi- 
nando III, 21, 22 ; Leopoldo 
II, 22. 

VlACHIAVELLI, Niccolo, 14, l6, 
83, 322. 

'anfred, King, 5. 

- !ann, Sir Horace, 21, 284. 
larzuppini, Carlo, 57. 

Matilda, Countess of Tuscany, 2-4. 
^ 'ausoleum of the Medici, 67, 68, 
M 314. 

iedici, rise of the family of, 9-1 1. 
M- pedigrees of, 373, 374. 
-- tombs of the, 68-71. 
-- Alessandro, Duke of Florence, 
16, 17, 71, 97, 258, 268, 322. 

- Anna-Maria, Electress Palatine, 

20, 21, 68. 

- Carlo, Cardinal, 271. 

- - Catherine, Queen of France, 15, 

H 323. 

Clarice, 16, 328. 

- Cosimo " il Vecchio," 10, 11, 66, 

— ! 79, 3 2 3- 

/ — I, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 

— ' 17, 18, 324. 

II, Grand- Duke of Tuscany, 

- 19, 68. 

Ill, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 

19, 20. 
Ferdinando I, Grand-Duke, 19, 

68. 
— II, Grand-Duke, 20. 

24* 



Medici, Francesco I, Grand- Duke, 
18, 19. 

— Gian - Gastone, Grand - Duke, 

21. 

— Giovanni d'Averardo, 10, 67. 
di Cosimo, 67. 

(Rope Leo X), 11, 13, 15, 

259, 299, 324. 
"delle Bande Nere," 17, 

325. 

— Giuliano di Piero, 12, 294. 
di Lorenzo, 12, 68, 69. 

— Giulio (Pope Clement VII), 15- 

17, 68, 71, 259, 325. 

— Ippolito, Cardinal, 16, 268. 

— Leopoldo, Cardinal, 20, 269. 

— Lorenzino, 17. 

— Lorenzo di Giovanni, 10. 
I, "II Magnifico," 11-13, 

3 2 5, 326. 

II, Duke of Urbino, 15, 68, 

70. 

— Piero I, "II Gottoso," 11, 

67. 
II, 12, 13. 

— Salvestro, 9. 
Mercanzia, 255. 
Michelangelo Buonarroti, 16, 68, 

96, 97, 343- 
Michele di Lando, 9, 290, 326. 
Micheli, Pietro, 326. 
Misericordia, Confraternity of the, 

29, 42, 43. 
Montaperto, battle of, 5. 
Monte Morello, 23. 
Montemurlo, battle of, 17. 
Monte Oliveto, 24. 
Monte Senario, 297. 
Mugnone, valley of the, 297. 
Museums — 

Archaeological Museum, 236-40. 

Bargello (National Museum), 
240-50. 

Casa Buonarotti, 250. 

— di Dante, 250. 

Museo del Centro, 80. 

National Science Museum, 251. 

Opera del Duomo (Cathedral 
Museum), 44, 45. 

Stibbert Museum, 251. 

Neri, 6-8. 

Nerli, family of, 94. 



378 FLORENCE AND HER TREASURES 



Oltr' Arno, 24, 28. 
Opera del Duomo, 44, 45. 
Ottimati, 9, 11. 

Painters, list of. See Artists. 

Palaces, public and private- 
Albert i, 271. 
Albizzi, 271. 
Antinori, 271, 272. 
del Bargello, or del Podesta. 

See Museums. 
Buondelmonti, 272. 
dei Capitani della Parte Guelfa, 

273- 

Cappello, 273. 

Capponi, 273-75. 

Corsini, 275. 

Davanzati, 279. 

Frescobaldi, 64. 

Gianfigliazzi, 280. 

Guadagni, 280. 

Medici, 266-69. 

Pandolfini, 281. 

Pazzi, 281. 

Pitti, 261-64. 

Pucci, 282. 

Riccardi. See Medici. 

Roselli del Turco, 282. 

Rucellai, 282, 283. 

San Clemente, 284. 

della Signoria. See Vecchio. 

Spini-Ferroni, 279, 280. 

Strozzi, 285. 

Strozzino, 286. 

Torreggiani, 286. 

Uffizi, 268, 269. 

Uguccione, 255. 

Vecchio, 256-61. 
" Paiio dei Cocchi," 84. 
Palleschi, 13, 15. 
Pallone, game of, 28. 
Paterini, 42, 90. 
Pazzi, conspiracy of the, 12, 37, 294. 

— family of the, 281, 306. 

— " Canto dei Pazzi," 281. 
Pazzo dei Pazzi, 306. 
Petrarch, 326. 
Piagnoni, 14. 

Piazze. See Squares. 
Pico della Mirandola, 326. 
Podesta, 5, 240. 
Politian, 326. 
Portinari, Folco, 289, 327. 



Prato, town of, 31. 

Proconsul, office of, 7. ID 

Protestant Cemetery, Old, 24. j 

of the Allori, 299. 

Pulci, Luigi, 327. 



Ramagliati, Tower of the, 64. 
Redi, Francesco, 322. 
Rosso della Tosa, 8. 
Rubaconte, 287. 

Rucellai, Bernardo and Giovann 
327. 



Saints and their Symbols, list o 
with dates and biographies 
details, 346-362. 

San Domenico, 292-94. 

— Salvi, 103. 

— Stefano, Order of the Knigh 

of, 18. 
Savonarola, Girolamo, 13, 14, 7 

78, 251, 255, 327. 
" Scoppio del Carro," 304-7. 
Settignano, 294. 
Soderini, Cardinal Francesco, 32 

— Piero, 14, 15, 83, 328. 
Squares (Piazze) — 

Piazza SS. Anunziata, 46. 

— d'Azeglio, 25. 

— del Carmine, 81. 

— alia Carraja, 26, 364. 

— Cavour (Porta San Gall(^ 

21, 292. 
-— S. Croce, 26, 54. 

— del Duomo, 26, 42. i 

— S. Felicita, 62. 

— S. Firenze, 240. 

— S. Giovanni, 42. 

— dell' Indipendenza, 25. 

— del Limbo, 51, 282. 

— S. Lorenzo, 64. 

— Manin, 97, 364. 

— S. Marco, 73. 

— Michelangelo, 94. 

— S. M. Novella, 26. 

— del Mercato Nuovo, 290. 

— Peruzzi, 2. 

— Pitti, 26. 

— Della Signoria, 26. 

— S. Spirito. 

— S. Trinita. 

— Vittorio-Emmanuele II., 21 

291. 



d a " 



(ts 



INDEX 



379 



Streets — 

Borgo degli Albizzi, 269, 281. 

— SS. Apostoli, 28, 51. 
1 — S. Jacopo, 28, 64. 

— Ognissanti, 26. 

— S. Spirito, 104. 
Corso dei Tintori, 62. 

Lung Arno Acciajoli, 24, 30, 64. 

Corsini, 24, 275. 

Guicciardini, 24. 

A. Vespucci, 24. 

Via dei Bardi, 28. 
Benci, 26. 

— Calzaioli, 26. 

— Gino-Capponi, 273, 284. 

— Cavour, 26. 

— Cerretani, 26. 

( — della Colonna, 236. 

— Faenza, 99. 

— dei Fossi, 4, 26, 31. 

— del Fosso (now Via Verdi), 4. 

— San Gallo, 281. 

I — Ghibellina, 240. 

— del Giglio, 4. 

— dei Gondi, 255. 
Gori, 6^. 

— Guicciardini, 26. 

— Lambertesca, 28. 

— Laraarmora, 73. 

— Larga (now Via Cavour), 73, 

266. 

— Maggio, 31. 

— Mazzetta, 286. 

— Micheli, 284. 

— di Ninna, 270. 

— Parione, 109, 275. 

— Por S. Maria, 3, 2156. 

— Porta Rossa, 279. 

— Proconsoio, 3, 33, 240. 
- — Ricasoli, 44. 

— Romana, 62, 264. 



Streets— 
Via della Scala, 84. 

— dei Serragli, 289. 

— dei Servi, 45, 282. 

— della Spada, 283. 

— Strozzi, 30. 

— delle Terme, 2, 291. 

— Tornabuoni, 26, 30, 107, 270, 

271. 

— Vaccherecchia, 256. 

— dei Vecchietti, 26. 

— della Vigna Nuova, 282. 
Viale dei Colli, 24, 93. 
Viali, 25. 

Strozzi, Filippc, 17, 328. 
Stuart, Prince Charles Edward, 
284. 

— Charlotte, 285. 

.< TETTO DEI PlSANI," 254. 

Toscanelli, Paolo, 328. 
Tuscany, Margraves of, 2. 

Uberti, 4. 

Ugo, Count, 2, 52, 53. 

Vespucci, Amerigo, 98, 328. 
Villa Landor, 294. 

— Medicea, 294. 

— Poggio Gherardo, 294. 

— Vincigliata, 23, 294. 

Walls, Ancient city, 2, 4, 6, 7, 

3i4- 
Willa, 52. 

Zenobius, or Zanobi, Bishop of 
Florence, 2, 4, 35, 260, 361. 

— Shrine of, 37, 304. 

— Tower of, 304, 361. 



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